A MONSTER PETITION

North Otago Times, Volume CVII, Issue 17748, 12 March 1927, Page 5

A MONSTER PETITION

Press Asjociation.j

S. CANTERBURY UP AND DOING.

(Pe-r

TIMARU, Last Night, A meeting of the Farmers Union hex'e to-day had a long disQixssion on the wheat question. The meeting, which was a large ahd representative one, unanimously deeided to promote a petition to the Prinxe Minister asking the Government to give adequate protection to . the wheat-growin'g indqstry. It wras said that there would be no dixliculty in getting 5000 signatures to such a petition, and that all classes of the comixiunity would sign, including labour as all recognised that it Avas in the general interest that New Zealand should be self-sup-porting in the matter of wheat. It i was stated that the Governxxient was ; acting against the interests of the ! consuxners and workers as well as of the producei's, in allowing Australian flour -to come in as at presexxt; that the unemployment problem was bound to be acute so long as little wheat was grown, and that the price could be stabilised at 6s a bushel with a gnarantee of no increase in the present price of bread. A compiaint was made that the Governxnent paid too much attention to the demands of the I North Island which expected CanI terbury to grow wheat for jt at a loss.