WHEAT PURCHASE.

Hokitika Guardian, 15 August 1918, Page 4

WHEAT PURCHASE.

AUCKLAND, Aug. 12th. The lion. W. i). S. .MacDonald, Minister of Agriculture, announced that a further 2,t)i)(),(l(HI bushels of wheat had been purchased in Australia on the same terms—namely its 7.Jd a bushel as those upon which 2,000,00(1 bushels were purchased last month. The. Now Zealand' Govetmment provides the ships for transport, the wheat being delivered i'.o.h. in Australia. One shipment is already on the way, and should arrive in Auckland in a few I days, and further freights have been arranged at intervals without interI'erring witii die inter-colonial carrying services.

As to tin' wheat production of the Dominion, the .Minister said that the winter sowing had been far less than last year, and a smaller spring sowing was also expected. Farmers had been unfortunate fur the past three years in getting low yields, hut if Utc average during the. coining season was ‘is or .‘SO bushels an acre, this, with the addition of a million bushels, from Australia half-yearly, would assure the supply of wheat for the Dominion's requirements, which were o,000,01)0 bushels monthly for 'flour purposes, and 100.000 bushels for other uses. In a few days the minimum price of (is Id with a free market, would lie gazetted as tin' amount fixed for the coming season’s wheat.

"So far as the interpretation of a ‘free market’ stands,” Mr. MacDonald added, “the Government has no idea of prejudicing a reasonable market price, and whatever is a fair market price over the above 0s Id,, the Government wilj he prepared to pay to pay to farmers.”