THE FARMER AND THE PRICE OF WHEAT

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 146, 15 March 1919, Page 8

THE FARMER AND THE PRICE OF WHEAT

Sir,—lt is a pity with all tins meddling and muddling with economic willies of our produce that politicians who nttcmpt to educate the public do not make themselves conversant with the true position before opening their mouths and upsetting trade gonerally. All tlieso f. Board of 'IVade calculating machines j[ must be out of order, or working upon r, eccentrics, as the duty of Is. per cental i) on imported wheat comas to more than it sd. per bushel, as quoted by thn Hon. [o Mr. Mac Donald, and the freight and l- charges on wheat from South to North >r Island used to bo much less than 7d. y per bushel. Moreover, this freight cliargo '0 which tile Minister talked so learnedly I about to your reporter, and "refused to 1 discuss at length," does not enter into '• the calculation as to the relative value £ of South Island wheat in tho North Island, as tho freight on flour from the ~ South, consumed in the North Island, equalises it, and the Auckland miller is r i' penalised only to tho extent of freight on the wastage in wheat in the process „ of milling, which is not so serious a, . matter as Mr. Mac Donald thinks it is. [. If ho can land wheat from Australia at 6s. sd. per bushel at main ports, it id w j" cost at least 3d. or td. more to pay ig wharfage and cartage to mill, without ■y any railago inland, or to side ports, and ii- all I am allowed for my wheat, delivered at tho mill door, is Gs. 4d. per bushel. *s This 6s. sd. for Australian wheat does ,v not include the usual import duty of 7d. d per bushel which, it appears, is not being id collected, and if Id. wharfage and carig (age is added, tho cost at mill door is 7s. id. with duty, and Gs. 3d, without. '5' If an Auckland farmer tried to exact I'" more than 6s. 4il. at the same mill door s for his wheat, the full penalties would r lie exacted, and failing payment ho would he consigned to gaol. And yet, according to tho lion, gentleman, "ho has no reason to complain." Hoes ho know that Hie Home farmer gets 9s. per bushel for his wheat, the Americans about 10s., while wo are limited to just about half (he price both are receiving for everything else we and they produce? And yet we are told by this gentleman that we c have no good grounds for all our deio niands. With such a man in charge s- our case is hopeless.—l am, etc., j" WHEAT FARMER.