MILLERS’ CASE ENDED

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 777, 25 September 1929, Page 11

MILLERS’ CASE ENDED

EVIDENCE AT WHEAT INQUIRY "NO UNDUE PROFITS” Press Association WELLINGTON, Today. Concluding his evidence yesterday before the committee of the House en- I gaged in considering the question of the wheat duties. Mr. R. K. Ireland, on : behalf of Distributors, Ltd., claimed that the millers were not antagonistic ; to the “pool,” which at present did not have sufficient control of the crop to j be a menace to them. The chairman, Mr. C. A. "Wilkinson, remarked that what the committee was concerned about was to see that Distributors, Ltd., were not making too ; much profit, Mr. Ireland said a profit had been j made during recent years, but he an- j ticipated that at the end of the present 1 year a very small return would be shown. Mr John C. Young, of Palmerston North, managing director of Hodder and Tolley, and a director of Distributors, Limited, supported the present sliding scale of duties. Any alteration would have a serious effect on the big i poultry and dairy industries. Aus- I tralia could be ruled out as a possible source of supply for bran and pollard and it was therefore essential that New Zealand should grow its own requirements. He denied that the distributors of grain were making high profits and said that 2£ per cent, on the selling pi'ice was about all that merchants got out of the business. He calculated that the wheatgrower received 2.22 d out of a 6d loaf of bread and the miller received less than 3d as his share. The committee adjourned and on its resumption this morning the evidence for the millers was concluded. Mr. Ireland gave confidential information regarding his company’s balance sheets and Mr. F. J. Lyon grain manager for Wood Brothers, produced his company’s balance sheet. The committee decided to call evidence from Dunedin, Christchurch and Wellington contractors, and then adjourned till Tuesday.