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Hokitika Guardian, 27 September 1932, Page 4

Ik connection with the 'agitation for removal of the wheat duties, which has been particularly taken./up in . the Nlctrth. Island, it; is known, that all European' countries k to-day, / with the sole exception of Denmark and the Irish Free State, are protecting their wheat-growing 1 industry, and in some cases to quite a marked : degree. Even Great Britain, - for so long a period wedded l to> free, trade, lias con- . sidered ft advisgibfe and necessary to protect its wheat-growers, and a scheme bias been adopted and is now in operation whereby the wheat-grow-er is guaranteed : 5s 7 k per bushel. ITndetr thle sliding scale of duties here the growrer in N'ew Zetland obtained for his wheat this year 4s 3d to 4s 5d per bushel. He is therefore in " hot nearly such a fm’tuJhate position as the English farmer, Smyth African legislation provides'that the importation of flour below* a landed cost of £lB 10s per ton is prevented, and ! further, the Government undertakes to review the position whenever this importation of flour comes .into competition with local 1 flour infilled from wheat at the agreed prices of 6s 7d and 6s 8d per bushel. A report on the wheat situation 1981 to th,? ! Imperial Economic Committee, London, states that from 1934 to 1931, •the changes in duties in Germany, France, -Italy, Austria, Belgium,' Czechoslovakia, « G.heetee, Sweden, and Switzerland show’:—'(a) Almost constant increases in the rates; (b) Increases at short periods during 1929 and 1980, or provisions whereby duties dan, be modified by decree in accordance with seme eliding scale or pride movement. On pages 77 to 81, tile, action taken by the United States to protect, its growers is fully set out, and 'Congress voted hundreds of millions of dollars to assist the Federal Farm Board to help tin? United States’ . wheat-grow-ers. In Australia this year a bounty of 4id a bushel is paid to the wheatgrower and this has already meant the distribution of £3.300,000 to the end of June last, and it is impossible to estimate what this amount will grow to before the end of this year.