WHEAT IN WAR.

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 313, 19 December 1936, Page 7

WHEAT IN WAR.

: JRUVISIUN OF guana: .111.5 BINS LIKu FtillTiiUSr'LS. I ■ ~ I i .lie demand by Sir Herbert M:ilj thews, secre.arj ol l"C c.u..i.ui ui.,...,ber ui Agricuiiure Hunt i.<oi ,u i.’-i, lor less vulnerable storage m g.a.n and al least six munuis t>upp\' —■ estimated al 3b,oUV,ouo I. ,i. -ct.is allenlion to proposals lor Hie construction in Lius country oi naiiim.tgranarics, from vvlncn supplies cuum be urawii in cmeigency, winies uie special correspuiiuenl ol Luc ua.i.< '1 elegraph. I Accuidmg to Sir Thomas Inskip. I Minister for the Go-urdinai.oii of uui fence, there is only annul 10 dais’ reserve supply of wheal m the granaries of this country. A leading auihurily in the grain trade said lo me yesterday— - “It is time the vvnuie trade —• ! wheat, maize and Hour importers, i millers, bakers and owners ol gran-aries—-got together &•••! tackled the j question of L\e establishment ol I national granaries, it would lake six months lo build up a .six months I store. | “The world's visible supply oi wheat on April 1, 1928, was m,000,OUU quarters. By 1931 it rose to ’'5,000,000 quarters; it is now 47.000,000.

; “When war breaks out a country 1 which is self-supporting is in a worse I position than before. -Men go Hum the land, and there are not the nec.es- ' sary steamers to import food. ] "This happened to France and Italy I during the Great War, both of winch, i though previously self-supporting, had I tu appeal to England in then' extremity i to supply them with steamers. “Double Accommodation.” I “To the end of April, 1936, the ' capacity of public granaries in Lie , United Kingdom was Gtu.Ouu tons. To this must be added sheds, quays. > and warehouses ui a capacity of zuu,i uuo tuns —a lota! of bid.uuu tuns. j “In my view it would proDuuly he necessary to double the existing accommodation, although even mure ' could be stored witn the millers uy arrangement. ■ “1 suggest that the Government j comes tu an arrangement with the i Canadian Government tu bring over ■wheat for storage, and'guarantees the •' Canadian Government against loss. An advisory committee of the gram trade should be set up lu advise, the . Government. ; “It is essential that there should : be tlie least possible interference with I the ordinary course, of Ute gram trade, i “Underground storage is proltibi- ! live because of its cost. What is wanted is the ‘silo’ system, similar to ; that used in the great granary on | Merseyside, which lias a total capi acity of rather more than 60,0ut) ions, i “Tlie granaries should be near ! waler, so that the grain can be taken j straight from the ships Lo the ‘situs.’ | The cost of construction would have i to be borne by the Government."

Safe from Gas. Scientists say that the silo system is the most perfect system of storing grain to make it least liable to damage by gas. The grain /is kept in a huge network of “silos” or bine, formed into one solid block of granite or cement, with no cracks er joints. The whole block is bound with a reinforcement of steelwork. “The bins of a modern ‘silo’ can be made gas-tight, and even if Hie roof were damaged the gas damage would be confined to bins whose upper surface had been exposed. “1 cannot think of anything less vulnerable than a modern grain silo, unless it be a modern fortification.” The Government is now re-examin-ing the question of food supp'ms lfl emergency.