THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. WEDNESDAY, DEC. 17, 1913. THE WHEAT CROP.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 17 December 1913, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. WEDNESDAY, DEC. 17, 1913. THE WHEAT CROP.

A return published in the last issue of the "Gazette" shows the estimated areas sown in the principal crops during the current season. From this it is gathered that the area under wheat ft estimated at 166,744 acres, compared with 189,369 acres last year, and 215,528 acres in the year 1911-12. As the Christchurch Press points out, the/seriousness of this shrinkage in the wheat area will be realised when it is pointed out that even if the yield is 30 bushels per awe, tliQ production will be only a little over 5,000,000 bushels, or one million bushels less than is required for a year's consumption. The Press say« that it can hardly be denied that Labour troubles in harvest and threshing time during the last. few years have 'turned many farmers front grain-growing in Canterbury, where three-fourths of the wheat grown in the Dominion is produced. We are inclined to dispute the , cause assigned bv our Christchurch contemporary, for the very good rea-

son that labour troubles affect graingrowing in a lesjj degree than they do any other branch of the primary industry. Another factor is mentioned by the Press as having a depressing influence upon wheat-growing, and that is the agitation that is set up every now and then for a removal of the duty on wheat and flour. Our contemporary makes the following rather unconvincing statement in support, of its contention:— ''This agitation usually springs from the North Island, where little wheat i.s grown, and is backed up »by c:ty representatives for the sake of gaining a little cheap popularity among a certain class of their supporters, if wheat and Hour were once admitted free, it ' would mean that Australia, with its enormous crop of wheat, cheaper land, and cheaper -nethod of productioij,. would drive New ' Zeajand farmers out of wheat-growing altogether. Even with the present duty, Australia can ship flour to New Zealand, charging a lower price for export than for their own local trade, and the high prices of bran and pollard for feed purposes assist to make milling profitable in Australia. The outlook for the wheat-grower in New Zealand is, therefore, not encour- - i aging." : ' We cannot agree with the Cliristcliurch Press that the agitation for " the removal of the duty on wheat and flour has had any very considerable determining influence on the wheat-grower. The fact is _ that the wheat lands o£ Canterbury are gradually becoming exhausted, and farmers are coming to th© conclusion that a better return can be obtained from the fattening of lambs and the production of butter and • cheese. Both of the latter industries are afi fected, more or less, by Labour troubles, but it has been - found that they can be just as profitably undertaken in Canterbury and Otago' as they can in the north. The evid- ' ence of a decline in the production of cereals of all kinds over a period of years, is convincing proof that the agitation for the removal of the duty on wheat and ,flour has had no, appreciable effect upon the production of wheat.; The announcement that the production' is. not sufficient for the ' Dominion's requirements is a power- ' ful argument in favour of the removal of the duty from wheat and flour, and the time-is not far. distant when the Government will be compelled to remove the. 6'mbargo that is placed upon these Necessaries of life. From an economic point of view it were far better that-the wheat-growers of; Canterbury should be. sacrificed—if competition ..with; a; country which ,is controlled by Labour should involve a sacrifice—than that the gi;eat body , iof consumers - should be required to pay through the nose for an article that is essential to existence. We are -persuaded that it would bo in the interests of the Dominium as a whole, if the duty on wheat and flour were immediately removed.