THE WHEAT PROBLEM.

North Otago Times, Volume CVII, Issue 17165, 23 March 1927, Page 3

THE WHEAT PROBLEM.

SOUTH CANTERBURY PETITION. i DEPUTATION TO PRIMx, MINISTER . : — ' During a brief stop at Timaru on Monday the Prime Minister (Hon. J. G. Coates) w.as met by a deputation representing the wheat growing interests and was invited to visit Timaru at an early date to go into the wholc matter of the wheat industry with growers in general. Replying to the deputation the Prime Minister said he wished to j make it ciear at the outset that he | wanted to deal direct with the I wheat growers. The Government recognised that it had a duty to per- | form, but its duty was the consumers as well as to the producers. He would be very glad to listen to all j that they might have to say, and would A'isit Timaru on Tuesday, March 29, for that purpose. (Applause). He would arrive from the south by the express at 1.30 p.m. 1 and would go on to Christchurch by the second express, if the business could be got through in that time; if not; he would be quite prepared to stop longer. As to whether wheat-growing was an essential industry, he could give his opinion right ofF, but there was a good deal more than that to discuss, and he did not think it wise to make any official statement until all the facts had been thoroughly considered. He j hoped they would come to, the meet- | ing with all the facts, and he would i particularlv like informtaion as to ihe cost of production. He had received a copy of the scheme suggested in Timaru, and consideration was being given to it, as well* as to other aspects of the matter. The Suggested Scheme. . The Prime Minister said he had | no objection to the publication of j the scheme suggested from Timaru. It is as follows: — Millers to agree to accept £17 per ton f.o.b., for flour, £6 per I ton f.o.b. for bran and £8j?er ton j f.o.b., for pollard, and to^pay on i the basis of an average price of | 8s per bushel f.o.b. Timaru, sacks : extra, for milling wheat, sufficient : for millers requirements. Conditions. — That an embargo ; to last until at least the 31st. March, 1928, be imposed on Australian flour. That all flour mills in New Zea- ; land are in agreement with these i prices, or the equivalent, at the ; respective ports, on the scale that | usually obtains. | That a levy of a price per ton ; to be agreed upon, be made, to ; compensate as far as possible j those farmers who have sold | their wheat under the suggested ; price, and also those millers i whose average cost is above same. ! Each mill to agree, to pay into j this pool the difference between | the actual cost of its purchases -to { date, and the above price. Also ! to subsidise the necessary control ! scheme in proportion to each ] mill's out-put in regard to the | total output, in respect of the total expenses of such control. That the merchant or broker obtain his commisgion for selling, where saies are effected through . these agencies, from the seller, Petition for Signature. The following petition has been agreed upon for circUlation among wheat growers in South Canterbury: — "Hon. J. G. Coates — Prime Minister of New Zealand. Sir, — In view of the fact that with 'wheat at its present price (5s to 5s 3d) we, as wheat growers, are receiving no adequate return for our labour, we ask you to do something for the encouragement of the wheat growing industry, as we cannot continue to produce wheat at a loss, and in our opinion, wheat growing is an essential industry in this Dominion. "We have it on the authority of more than one miller that it would be possible for the Government to stabilise the price of wheat at round i about 6s per . bushel, without any i increase in the present price of bread. • "We respectfully ask the Govern- j ment to do this, or to formulate some other scheme for the protec- i tion and encouragement of this all- I important industry.". A public meeting is to he held in the Theatre Royal at Timaru at 1.45 p.m. on Tuesday next, and repre- ■ sentatives of North Otago wheat growers have agreed to attend.