Grey River Argus SATURDAY, February 19th, 1927. THE FLOUR DUTY.

Grey River Argus, 19 February 1927, Page 4

Grey River Argus SATURDAY, February 19th, 1927. THE FLOUR DUTY.

The Minister of Customs feel it awkward as the membe’’ of a. Cabinet claiming to be the farmer’s friends when he has to withstand the wheat growers’ demand for a duty to exclude Australian flour from this country entirely. The position is a complicated one. The Government at a lime when unemployment is growing, cannot afford to countenance a rise in the price of bread, and

there is no doubt that a prohibitive duty on Australian .flour i would tend in that direction, or at anyrate would be cited as a fault ] on'the Government’s part, were; other factors to increase, bread prices. The Ministers this week received a deputation from the Canterbury farmers requesting an embargo or a bigger ‘‘dumping” duty. H is obvious that complete exclusion of Australian flour is what, they sought, whether they chose to say so candidly or called it a dumping preventative. The Hon. Mr Downje Stewart, in reply, staled the position in. all its bearings, pointing out there is a customs treaty with. Australia, under which six months’ notice of a duty increase is necessary, and an embargo now would amount to selling the spirit of the treaty a< nought. The essence, of the a.rgu merit was reached when it .was was pointed out that the flour millers afe the sinister element The wheat farmers claimed to Represent every interest, but they have no guarantee that, even it the Australian flour is barred, the New Zealand miller will pay any more for wheat. The farmers are really rolling the millers’ log for them. As remarked by the Minister of Customs, the wheal, farmers should inquire more closely .into the actions of Distributors Limited. He was not at all satisfied that the millers were acting in the best interests of he farmers. He had evidence wh’eh showed that at the very time when they were pro fessing" to assist the farmers, their agents in the North slant! were doing their best to reduce the price so that they might assume sole control. “I think the utmost caution should be exercised,” said thf Minister, “in watching the actions of millers.” Referring again to Distributors Ltd., Mr Stewart said he believed that, there was a great need for inquiry as to their attitude towards farmers, and the price of flour, and as to their genera] operations. All the evidence he had showed that a great many things were being done in the direction of their obtaining a nionopoly of control. This wonld-sim-ply bring things to a worse pass than they were when control was tried before.