Storage of Wheat.

Manawatu Herald, 16 May 1899, Page 2

Storage of Wheat.

Meetings are again being held throughout Great Britain in advocacy of a wheat storage scheme to provide for food supplies in case of war. After the wheat operations of Mr Letter, it is submitted that it would, be an easy matter for Russia and France, should they wish to do so, to quickly starve England. The first move, it is anticipated would be to buy up wheat in the United States, where agent&.conld acquire practically all the visible wheat in a few hours, and obtain control of mnch of the wheat held by the growers in a few week. The next move would be for Russia to prohibit the exportation of wheat, as she did in 1891. Fast cruisers would be despatched to wait at certain points of the ocean highway, such as off Cape Horn. All being ready, war would be, declared and food proclaimed contraband of war. A large number of sailing vessels laden with wheat, leave San Francisco and are about eighteen weeks before ,V_ they reach England ; and, it is pointed out could be captured off Cape Horn. All danger of famine during war, it is urged, would be avoided if British wheat-growers were remunerated for reserving their wheat in the stack for about six months. In return, it is suggested that the Government should have the power to cause wheat to be sold at a fixed price. Amongst the figures submitted, it is shown that the -*-. United Kingdom has a cultivated area of 47,000,000 acres, of which only about 2,000,000 acres are under wheat, 28,000,000 aci'es being permanent pasture. France, with a cultivated area of 90,000,000 acres, has 17,000,000 acres of wheat, and 13,000,000 acres of permanent pasture.