THE SHORTAGE OF WHEAT

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2380, 9 February 1915, Page 7

THE SHORTAGE OF WHEAT

APPEAL TO GROWERS. (By jtiiwoiatioA.) ■ OamarUj February's. One result ol la6fc Wednesday's conference dealing with the question of increased wheat production, between the committee of the North Otago Agricultural and Pastoral .Association, and Messrs. W. H. Rose (chairman), and W. K; Irelaiid, representing the Oamarn Merchants' Association, has been a general awakening to the position of matters. The A. and P. Association have adopted Mr. Boss's : suggestion that a special appeal be'.made to all wheat growers, in the district to "prepare this season as much land as thei' reasonably can for wheat.'' In the course of his address before the committee, Mr. Rose quoted the following significant statistics Area under wheiit in 1910-11—Dominion: 322,167 acres, Waitaki, 34,946' acres; area under wheat in 1914-15—Dominion: 189,567 acres; Waitaki, 18,616 acres, showing a decrease for the Dominion of 41 per cent, and for tbe Waitaki County of 46 per cent. From December. 1889, to June, 1393, 71,180 fourbushel sacks of .wheat had been shipped from Oamaru to Europo, now the export is nil. These figures fl'ere given to febow the falling-off in the wheat-grow-ing industry, and are rather startling. . Mr. Rose, in dealing with the world's wheat problem,. mentioned that in 1913 England had to import 5,895,000 tons of whGat. and flonr, air of which reached her from outside Europe, except some 25,000 tens from Russia. He strongly emphasised the necessity for the British Overseas Dominions • ■ increasing their wheat areas this season, if England, in ,hfir struggle is to feed her population, and most of all her soldiers,: oh. the best of bread,- in l ; contra distinction' to the adulterated stuff Germany is reported i to be . reduced !to. Referring to the price ;of wheat and flour in view of. the admitted shortage in' the Dominion;-Mr. Rose' said that the price should be ruled by the cost of importation from the cheapest pro- ' during' market, provided, thatthe speculator be blocked and impfirt duties. be removed. This would be fair t<i growers, who would theh be placed on tbe saino footing as growers' elsewhere, and at the same Time it would satisfy 1 consumers that they were getting, "a square deal." Whatever safeguards . Were adopted, they , must bo such as to' ensure the. household getting this, for after all the great desideration is bread, the staff of life, as cheap as possible. Mr. Ireland emphasised'the great loss to the country should wheat-growing be, stopped.;, not, only would it mean a direct payment of £2,000,000 to import eufEcient wheat'for the population, but the great dairying industry Would' be Beriously handicapped, and th' 6 railway, revenue would suffer to the Extent Qf over £50,000 a year for haulage. If the milling industry wete destroyed poultry-raising would probably be practically. unpayable, then, all this..would lead to a good deal of unemployment.