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For the seven years that the scheme had been in existence to the 31st January, 1950, 284 claims involving acres and £32,039 4s. 7d. had been settled, representing an average payment of £4 Bs. Id. per acre. At 31st January, 1950, the amount in the trust fund was £44,857 10s. sd. of which £44,000 was invested in New Zealand Government stock bearing interest at 2£ per cent. and. 3 per cent. Compensation payments in respect of 1949-50 crops damaged by flood, frost, or hail are not included in the above, but more than 200 claims were received, involving over 5,000 acres, and payments by way of compensation are expected to amount to about £20,000. Most of the claims result from extensive frost damage sustained by crops in North Canterbury. Hilgendorf Wheat This new variety has been very favourably reported upon by the Wheat Research Institute as a wheat which gives a flour of improved baking quality. The wheat has not been sufficiently tested, however, to enable a comparison to be made with Cross 7 as regards performances under varying growing conditions. In order to test this, by encouraging farmers to try out Hilgendorf, a premium of Is. per bushel was paid to growers on Hilgendorf harvested in 1950, and the same premium will again be paid in 1951. One-half of the premium is being met by flour-millers and the balance from Government subsidy. Shipping Freights As from 23rd June, 1949, substantial increases took place in both trans-Tasman and New Zealand coastal shipping freights. The increase amounted to 20s. per ton in the trans-Tasman rate, 10s. per ton on shipments from South Island ports to Auckland, and ss. per ton on other New Zealand coastal shipments. These increases affected wheat shipped to New Zealand from Australia and flour, bran, and pollard shipped from the South to the North Island. Supply op Special Pollard for Rabbit Boards The Wheat Committee arranged for certain flour-mills to manufacture a special pollard for use in preparation of a poison bait in rabbit-destruction work, and the Wheat Research Institute assisted with its technical advice. This necessitated the production of a pollard having binding properties to enable it to withstand disintegration when exposed to weather in the open. For technical reasons only a small quantity of. this special pollard can be made at any one mill, and certain milling adjustments had to be made at the flour-mills concerned to bring about the desired results. In the first place one . North Island and one South Island mill commenced production, but later two further mills in the South Island agreed to make this special pollard. At the present time these flour-mills produce altogether 10 tons weekly, but as. the demands of the Rabbit Boards grow, more mills may have to assist. Corn-sacks Pool At the request of the Department of Agriculture, the Wheat Committee administered the 1947-48 corn-sacks pool with which the 1948-49 corn-sacks pool was later incorporated, this work' being carried out by the Committee without charge. The object of the pool was to stabilize the charge out price for new 46 in. X 23 in. corn-sacks at 365. per dozen and for new 48 in X 26| in. corn-sacks at 41s. per dozen, both prices ex wharf Auckland, Wellington, Lyttelton or Dunedin. Merchants were allowed a profit margin of £1 10s. per bale of 250 sacks above the pool prices ex wharf. Indentors were required to pay into the pool any surplus above the actual landed costs arising from the sale of sacks at pool prices. On the other hand, where indentors suffered a monetary

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