WHEAT COMMISSION.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIX, Issue 242, 11 September 1929, Page 8

WHEAT COMMISSION.

FURTHER EVIDENCE. Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, Sept. 11. Giving evidence before the Wheat Commission, Mr W. W. Mulliolland, farmer, of Darfield, outlined the operations of the Wheat Growers’ Association, commonly called the “Wheat Pool,” of which he was managing director. He said that the association had been established on tho of the big wheat organisations in Canada. The diliiculty which New Zealand farmers experienced was selling their wheat under favourable conditions. Under modern conditions ail the wheat was ready for the market at practically the same time, and as the market could not absorb ail the wheat that was available the growers were forced to soli at lower prices. This embarrassed those growers who found it necessary to securo immediate payment for their output or a good proportion of it. The consumers did not benefit from the temporary reductions in price. The Wheat Association mado contracts with the growers, permitting them to take control of the whole of the wheat and sell it on favourable terms that enabled the association to make advances to the growers. This year the association had been able to prevent a slump in prices and to a great extent eliminate the speculator. j. Mr Mulliolland said that it was not the policy to inflate the price of wheat as that was likely to prove fatal to their organisation. 'The association had a membership of between 2500 and JOOO growers. Ho said that lie would not object to a bonus or subsidy, but lie foresaw difficulties ahead. The money would have to be appropriated every year and the growers would be in politics every year.