WHEAT AND OATS SUPPLIES

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2459, 12 May 1915, Page 8

WHEAT AND OATS SUPPLIES

SHORTAGE OF OATS. • Tho Prime Minister was question® b.V a reporter yesterday afternoon a to whether any further particulars wet available with regard to tho quantit of wheat and oats in tho Dominioi Mr. Massey replied that the wheat r< turns were naw almost complete, an ' tho Government was able to say tha 1 the result of the wheat harvest had es cceaed "all expectations formed a fei months ago. "I am not, however, abl to say ,yet," stated Mr. Massey, "tha j there is a sufficient quantity of whea in 'New Zealand for our own require , monts, but I can say that with the op tion that the Government has securei in Canada, there will bo no difficult; whatever, even if it should happen tha Australia is not able to supply us witl wheat from its coming season's crop By way of making this point cloar, may point out that the Australian har vest generally comes in from six week: months in front of ours. : "There are still a.number of import ant returns to como in with regard t< tho oat harvest, but so far as I an ablo to judge at present, the yield o! oats will not be up to the estimate oi thrqe months ago. ]{ememberihg thai tho Now Zealand Government require: very large quantity for Defence purposes, and that there is still a-quan-tity with which wo. promised to supplj the Commonwealth Defence Department, I can 1 -come to 110 other conclusion. at present,; or on the present outlook. than that oats will be both scarcc and dear before the next- season's crop comes in. It will be quite another month, however, before we-will'bo able to make a definite statement with regard to this cereal." ,