THE WHEAT PURCHASE

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 257, 18 July 1918, Page 8

THE WHEAT PURCHASE

GOOD GRAIN AT A FAIR VIUCE. Tho lion. W. D. S. MaeDouald, who lias had charge of the wheat purchase which has just been completed in Austialia. slated yesterday that ho considered that the New Zealand Government had done extremely well to get the wheat which had "been bought at the good price of ss. v.jd. per bushel. This, he said, was a very much better price from the point of view of the buyer than other outside buyers were being required to pay for wheat of similar Quality. It was admitted by millers who had used it that no finer wheat had ever come tc New Zealand from Australia than that which the Government had purchased last year. This last wheat would scarcely be equal to that, but it was the best wheat remaining in Australia,. It,might be said .by some.presently that tlie Government, if it had bought shrewdly, could have secured the wheat at less than the price of Ds. 7Jd.. and no doubt some would quole Australian prices to show that the Government had paid more than it needed to have paid. It was true that wheat could be bought in Australia at prices much below the figure paid by the Government, but this was so-called' re-conditioned wheat—wheat which had the weevil in it—not really fit for milling. This wheat which had been bought was of far better finality. It was not quite so good as that bought last year, for the simple reason that io more sucli wheat was to be obtained in Australia. i He was sure, however, that it would give satisfaction to the millers who would have to use it. SHORTAGE THIS TEAI?. "There is one very difficult tuestion. and that is wheat," said the Minister of Agriculture, at the Council of Agriculture yosterday. "I would iike this council to consider it. The outlook for producing sufficient wheat for our own requirements is not very bright at the present moment. The principal reason against a good production of wheat is that the farmers in the chief wheatgrowing areas have had two or three very bad seasons. The fanners have risen to the occasion and tried to do their best, but tlie weather being against them they did not get the best returns from their lands. We anticipated that tho area put in last year (about 290,000 acres) would give us a surplus, but, instead, we have a shortage and have to purchase from Australia. You know,- of course, that other countries are giving guarantees to farmers as to prices and guarantees as to labour. If the conference can put forward any suggestion which will help the production of wheat in this country, I wnuld like them to let us have it. We have been fortunate enough to be able to purchase from Australia, but this country should be independent of Australia. Many criticise the farmer, but they cannot expect bim to go iu for «n industry which is not a payable proposition. So there is no other course open for the Government than to assist the farmers in this matter."