WHEAT GROWING

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 141, 4 March 1918, Page 8

WHEAT GROWING

NEED FOR ENCOURAGEMENT. A statement of his opinion to the policy that should be followed by the Government to encourage wheat growing in New Zealand was made by the Prime Minister on Saturday. , i '\Something more definite will have to be done for the wheat growers than has been dono up to this if sufficient wheat is to bo produced for the requirements of the population," said Mr. Massey. "One of the candidates in the by-election talked of the Government having put millions of pounds into the pockets of the 'wheat capitalists.' That sort of talk is simply, unadulterated nonsense, which may go ' down with those who do not know any better. The wheat growers have bad a succession of bad seasons, quite sufficient to discourage them, and even this season, though an improvement on the last three, the yields are very patchy. The. cost of production has gone up enormously; labour, implements, machinery, string for binding purposes, sacks, and every other article required in the industry', are. very much dearer than before the war. Consequently, if wheat growing is to go on the wheat grower must get more enoouragement. At the hack of his mind all the time is the fear of duifiping from Australia, and that is especially the case just now when it is well known that there. are millions of tons of wjieat in Australia for which shipping cannot' be found. And vet on account of its periodical droughts Australia cannot be depended upon for a regular supply. I am convinced Parliament must face this question, and by a readjustment of the Customs tariff place, the. Ni.'W Zealand producer in as good a position as his competitors in Australia. Britain neglected food production, and in consequence its difficulties during the war have been greatly increased. Whatever has to be done, New Zealand should see to it that no importation of wheat or flour will be necessary in the future."