DEAR WHEAT PROBLEM

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2429, 7 April 1915, Page 8

DEAR WHEAT PROBLEM

DEPUTATION TO PRIME MINISTER, Representatives of the delegates present at tho Poultry-keepers' Conference waited on the Prime Minister yesterday afternoon to bring under his. notice tho remits the conference had passed. Their especial concern was about the high price of wheat. Mr. Massey said that he knew that poultry-farmers were considerably handicapped at present by the very high price they had to pay for fowl feed, and especially wheat. He might just as well say at the outset that he could not see how the price of wheat could fall very much for some little tjme. A suggestion had been made that if the Government imported more wheat some of it should be made available at cost price to poultry associations, who would distribute it among poultry-farmers. It would be necessary, ie was advised by the Regis-trar-General, to import the . million bushels over which he had secured an option in Canada, but he was afraid that when poultry-keepers asked for some of that wheat at cost they did not know what the cost was likely to be. At present it was impossible to get wheat from America at a less froight than 2s. 3d. per bushel. Wheat could be bought at a reasonable price in Canada, and the United States, but the heavy freights made it v.ery dear wheat, by the time it reached New Zealand. He would like, to help the poultrykeepers, and would do so as far as. he could, but it was well that he should point out the difficulties.

_ He had no intention of asking Pah liainent to agree to the removal of..the duty on imported eggs. (Applause.) As to tie proposal for the stamping of imported eggs, he thought the suggestion was a good one. He had not sufficient knowledge of the subject to say whether it was practicable or not-, but he thought that imported eggs should jiot be sold as fresh. Against this the consumer should be protected. He would, consult tho experts of the Department as to the possibility of insisting upon ail imported eggs being stamped to show their place of origin. He also promised to consult the Minister of Railways as to the possibility of reducing the railway freights on eggs. In reply to a request that tho records of certain experiments conducted by the Utility Poultry' Club should be printed, he said it would surely be wrong to allow these records to be lost. He was informed that the cost would not be heavy, and he would give instructions to have them printed at once. Another sensible suggestion had been made, that more scientific experiments in poultry-breeding and poultry-feeding •should be'carried out at Ruakura. He was in entire accord- with the idea, and would give instructions that some such experiments as had been 'suggested should be carried out at the Ruakura Poultry Farm. Mr. Massey said he would, as requested, confer with the Minister of Customs regarding the admission free of duty of poultry-keepers' appliances in the same way as agricultural implements'were admitted. He was sure that when the tariff was before the House it was the intention of the House that thev should be so admitted. . Mr. Massey discussed the possibility of importing rye from America, or maize from Africa for fowl feed. Both grains would be obtainable, he believed, at much less cost than wheat, if they were at all useful for the purpose. "I dare say you will recognise," he continued, "that I have had some experience in these matters of late, and if I can help you to get wheat or some other feed 1 will' do so. . . . But I don't think you can produce eggs at a profit with Canadian wheat at the price you would hare-to pay for it here."