The Chronicle LEVIN. TUESDAY AUGUST 1, 1916. THE PRICE OF WHEAT.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 1 August 1916, Page 2

The Chronicle LEVIN. TUESDAY AUGUST 1, 1916. THE PRICE OF WHEAT.

1 lie { hroniele has been wondering what degree of memory !s ™«.-W-d te <iit.iin lai'iner.s and commci'cia! men" in Xortl, Otago. Have they. 1M memory whatever of th> exorhitn.nt I'i'ice.s that ruled f„ r whe.it. bar V.'.v, oats, bian and pollard lor over twelve months i„ 1914-1.-,? ,\nd. it thev have memory of this, how can they publicly '•nil for "protection" to-day P Are the huge profits already made not to be put against the somewhat lower priruling for grain to-dav? Are the hundreds upon hundrors of poultryfarmers and pig farmers who were reduced to semi-poverty and actual poverty by the unfair exactions in 191-1-L") to be denied tin- better condition, of livelihood that are made possible today by the importation of Australian wheat and flour and pollard? The case is clear-cut as between the partiss, it is this: that the grnin-nier-cl'.ants and grain-growers for two years b'st efipsd have bled the poultryfaimer and the pig fattener, by exacting prices from them for New Zealand grown grain and its products that were always in excess of the prices paid Air X, w Zealand grown grain on the Knglish market—even when no account, was taken of the cost oi freight and insurance. Anyone who doubts the truth of this statement is referred to the official figures sot out in the international bureau's publication of a few months back, regarding the prices ol wheat at Liverpool over a I eriod of twelve months. Ua.suii enquirers into these mat-tors may ask lii.w the differentiation aga list Vow

Zealand ,-irises. The vinswer is on easy as it i,s l)luut : Jsy unfair and unjustifiable "boosting" of prices. To-day. m ciubuqucniv of la.st year's" bountiful Jui.i \ est 111 Australia, the Commonwealth lias a .surplus of wlu-at and its derivatives, and soon it will lie possible to obtain these coiiiiiioditiets in .New Zealand at more reasonable charges than heretofore. It i.s lugli time thai iiwer prices should rule. Southern charges are .still so high tii.it even today the c.it-price, for ca&li. in L/cviu. ifc 5o 4d to ue (3d per bushel. Yet now. there conies "a cry from Macedonia — Jlans.-v help us!'' and already plans are prepared lor a descent upon Wellington and. the Premier and the Cabinet ill general with requests that the long-hard-done-by agricultuiist of the South may be saved from his brother who grows across the TaMiian Sea. It bospealcs a lively and exorbitant belief in the capacity of public credulity when a representative body of commeieial and agricultural people k»)<>ih:i!-.-asseverate and resolve and promulgate the following extraordinary allegation:

terosts of agriculture and of trade in the district, to tnko steps to prevent Australian wheat and flour being dumped into the dominion. Prompt action is urged so that farmers may bo encouraged to sow as large am area as possible of spring wheat. Pending definite tariff adjustment, this meeting suggests that import dunes (similar to those charged by the Commonwealth on our wheat and flour be imposed. Should this be adopted, the meeting i Hither suggests that in tile interests of consumers legislation be enacted to prevent inflated prices being charged for stocks now held.". J lie meeting at which the resolution above-given was arrived at. also decided that the resolution be sent to the Prime Minister, and that delegates from various parts of the dominioi should «ait upon the Ca ( met. i'or presumption and obliquity of vision the foregoing resolution would be hard to match—notwithstanding .its "proviso" for the fixing of a limit tor selling value of present stocks of grain. Some of the reasons for our saying this are set out at the head of this articT;'. One more—and a greater- is the assurance given by .Mr G. W. Leadley, a representative Canterbury farmer, wli n giving evidence to the Cost of Living Commission a very few years ago, that the cost of growing wheat was from 3s 6d to 3.s 9d per bushel! This liberal istimato of the cost. Against tnis, people should set down the Tai-t that in the l'ast two years the retail prio- of wheat has never been below 5s 3d per bushel, and lias been as hig'.i as 7s (3d and -8s per bushel "for month:, at a time. Ae an additional rinso.for allowing the importation of Australian pollard, the fact must be recognised that the finality of .Vow Zealand pollard during the last eighteen months has become so great a By-word and reproach that no-one will buy it when Australian pollard can be got. "Why" the quality of New Zealand pollard; fell off so suddenly is a question that tho Board of Trade would do well to investigate. The causes have not been unavoidable.