WHEAT COMMISSION

Hokitika Guardian, 12 September 1929, Page 6

WHEAT COMMISSION

FURTHER EVIDENCE

fßy Telegraph—Press Association)

WELLINGTON, Sept. 11

Giving evidence before the Wheat Commission, Mr W. W. Mulholland, faumer, of Darfidld, outlined the operation of. the Wheat Growers’ Association, commonly called the Wheat Pool, of which he is managing director. He said that his Association had been established on the.lines of the big wheat organisations in Canada. The difficulty which New Zealand growers experienced was in selling their wheat. Under favourable conditions, all the wheat was ready for market at practically the same, time, and as the market could not absorb all the wheat that was available, growers were forced to sell at lower prices. This embarrassed those growers who found it necessary to secure immediate payment for their output, or a good proportion of it. Consumers did not benefit from the temporary reduction in price. The Wheat Association made contracts with grow ers permitting it to take control of the whole of the wheat and • sell it on favourable terms. That enabled the Association to make advances to growers. This year the Association had been able to prevent a slump in prices and to a great extent to eliminate the speculator. Mr Mulholland said it was not the .policy to inflate the price of wheat as that was likely to prove fatal to their organisation. The Association had a membership of between 2,500 and 3000 growers. He said that lie would not object to a bonus or subsidy, but he foresaw difficulties ahead. The money would have to be appropriated every year, and the would be in politics every year.