BAD QUALITY WHEAT

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 255, 23 July 1919, Page 7

BAD QUALITY WHEAT

NEAV SOUTH WALES PRODUCT CRITICISED. Sydney, July 22. Before tho AVheat Commission, Mr Grnhaine, Minister for Agriculture, in his evidence, said that the quality of the 1916-17 wheat was a nightmare. At the end of two years there was roughly 160,000 tons of wheat under quality in New South AVaies. The British Government had refused to lake delivery,, and tho Government, was not allowed to send any more to America. There was then only tho East left. The Georgesou contract covered 72,000 tons, of a value of between ,£500,000 and t t!700,000. He considered the sale an excellent bargain lor the farmers.—Press Assn.

[Tho transactions of the New South Wales Wheat Board in connection with sales of wheat to Japan, were the subject of a series of questions by Mr Blakeley (N.S.W.) ill the House of Representatives on July 11. Tho Acting-Prime Minister admitted that the New South AYales Board had sold inferior wheat for export to Japan at an average price of is. JJa. per bushel, while the Victorian Wheat Board had obtained ss. 7Jd. per bushel for similar wheat sd'.d to .the same country. The New South Wales sale was not made by the Australian Wheat Board, or with its knowledge, as was the Victorian sale. To facilitate business, and avoid loss of time, latitude was given to the States to make sales of .inferior wheat without reference to the Australian Wheat Board, tho basic f.a.q. prico being fixed by the board. As tho States were debited by the board with the f.a.q. rate, even though a considerably loweiprice .might bo realised, it was to the advantage of the States to obtain as high a price as posible: The practice was to report such sales immediately to tho Australian Wheat Board, which thereupon issued a contract note. Ihe New South Wales, sale was not so reported, tho Minister of Agriculture in New South AVales, in April last soul 72,001 i tons of inferior wheat to G. Georgesen, of Sydney, for the Eastern trade, at an averago price of Is. -lid. per bushel. Mr. Watt was unable to say whether tho loss to tho farmers on that sale would amount to JCIOO.OOO, as no sample of the wheat sold had been supplied to the Australian Wheat Board. In_ rep.y to a request for a Royal Commission to inquire into tho transactions ol the New South Wales Wheat Pool, he said that was a matter for the State Government of Now South Wales,]