SHORTAGE OF WHEAT

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 15, 12 October 1917, Page 8

SHORTAGE OF WHEAT

NO TRANSPORT FROM AUSTRALIA. "There is no immediate prospect of sotting wheat from Australia," said the Hon.' W. D. S. AlacDonald, in the House of E«presentatives yesterday. The Government, ho said, was in daily communication with Australia, and tho latest report was that things, were very unset' tied. Although .thoro was a great deal of talk to the contrary, we could not got any more wheat in New South Wales up to the sample bought by the Government. Tho Government would have to go to Melbourne or South Australia for this wheat. Tho Government was aware of the Ghortago of wheat in New Zea- ( land. Tho millers in Dunedin had sufficient wheat and flour for two months' supply, and it was estimated that there, was sufficient wheat and flour held by merchants and grocers to make up a full three months' .supply. In Australia the present difficulty was that tho eenmen were still on strike. Most of the other workers had gone back. As soon as it was possible to load wheat in Australia two shipments would b« brought to New Zealand, one for Auckland and one for the south. Mr. Nosworthy asked the Minister what was the actual shortage of wheat in New Zealand. Different and conflict-, ing statements had been mado at times throughout the year. Mr. JlacDonald said that the average requirements in wheat for the Dominion was e.500.000 bushels. The thrashingmill roturna last year 'ehowd a total of 5,220,000 bushels. This left a shortage of something more than a million and a quarter, and out of tho total seed wheat would have to be provided. • Prom the information he could gather lie did not think thero would bo a sufficient yield of wheat' next harvest for our own requirements. Thero was certainly a ehortago in area, but tho yield might bo a better one this year. If the yield kept down to.the average of twenty bushels or so of the last two years there certainly would be a shortage. The position, he considered, was not so very serious, because there was every prospect of Australia having any amount of wheat available for a year or two.