Cheap Wheat

Horowhenua Chronicle, 18 July 1916, Page 3

Cheap Wheat

| THE PIIEMIJiE'to Iii'TOKTS. j (ALanawatu Times Parliamentary Heporter). Wellington, Last Night. Prime Minister is still prevented by illness from taking his place in the House, he was able to nttach his name to some of the written replies to questions given m the House on Friday afternoon. One of these was to iTie effect that he was in communication with the Ac'fcing-Prime Minister of the Commonwealth in regard to a cablegram received from Sydney last week stating that while the price or wheat tor export "he< joen fixed in N'eiv South Wales at 5s Id, the price of wheat Tor the manufacture of export flour had been fixed at 4b lOjd f.o.b.

It would be interesting to know the nature of Mr Massey'.s communicition with tlio Commonwealth authorities. The first interim report of the Board of Trade showed beyond all povSSi jle doubt that the Prime Minister's attempt to regulate the price of wTieat in this country was a most deplorable fiasco, resulting i,n a cool £300,000 or £400.000 being taken out of the pockets of the consumers by o litfle group of speculators As much as this may be said without reflecting upon the honesty of his intentions or upon his capacity 'as a politician ; but if he should now*' undertake to regulate the price of wheat coining from Australia he will deserve much more scathing criticism than any directed against -him in connection with his previous deals. The New Zealand grower, who in true cm>iout of 'ten passes Tiis advantage on to the miller and the speculator, is already protected'through the Customs tariff to the extent of nearly fid a bushel, and to raise a further barrier ogainst cheaper wheat would be a positive crime against the wage workers of the T)o-