THE WHEAT SUPPLY

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2430, 8 April 1915, Page 7

THE WHEAT SUPPLY

AN OPTIMISTIC FORECAST.

An interesting review of wheat supply prospects was given by the Prime Minister to a reporter yesterday. • "A few days ago," he said, "the New South Wales Government intimated that there was a possibility of its requiring repayment of the hundred thousand bushels which were sent to the Dominion to help it out of its difficulties a few months ago. There was, however, no urgency about the matter; it would be at least a month before New South Wales was able to gauge the exact position. The New Zealand Government's option over a million bushels of wheat from Canada is not exercisable earlier than July, so that the first shipment, cannot reach here until August, if it is necessary that the option should b'e exercised. As that option covers a million bushels, the possible demand from New South Wales need not give riso to any anxiety on our part."

Mr. Massey went on to say that he had arranged to have returns from threshing machinos sent in to the Regis-trar-General. The work of the season was now coming to an end, and eachthreshing machine proprietor would be required to send in the exact quantities that he had dealt with during the season. '.'By that means," said Mr. Massey, "we shall learn as nearly as possible tho exact quantity of wheat in the Dominion —and not only wheat, but other cereals. This is tho first time tho New Zealand Government has taken steps in this direction to discover the actual position of affair's. In the past statistics have been deduced from growing crops. Now the actual returns will be available at a very much earlier period. It is essential that we should do this; so that we may be able _ to know exactly whether we have sufficient grain for our own requirements; and so that, if there is a shortage, wo may be able to fill it without the trouble and delay, that occurred a few months ago. "My own opinion is," Mr. Massey added, "that wheat will be at a price payable to the grower for two or three years to come, and for that reason, as well as for patriotic reasons, I am satisfied that more wheat will be grown in New Zealand during the next few years than has been grown for years past. As to the option of a million bushels of wheat which I have arranged with Canada, I am quite sure it will be sufficient to cover any possible deficiency."