WHEAT DUTIES.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIX, Issue 255, 26 September 1929, Page 2

WHEAT DUTIES.

YESTERDAY’S EVIDENCE.

WELLINGTON, Sfept. 25. Further evidence was heard to-day by the committee investigating the question of wheat duties. Mr J. C. Young, of Palmerston North, managing director of Hodder and Tolley, Ltd., and a director of Distributors, Limited, continued his evidence, and was cross-examined. Questioned by the chairman (Mr C.' A. Wilkinson) with regard to the comparative prices of Australian and New Zealand pollard, witness replied that the duty on that class of goods was hardly necessary, excepting at certain periods of the year. The chairman: In order to safeguard against those periods you advocate that the duty remain on all the year round? Witness: Yes.

Figures placed before us indicate that Australian pollard' costs £lO 4s lid a ton to land, and New Zealand £7 16s. Why the necessity of a duty ? —“The miller is simply the collecting agent for the price the farmer gets. I take it the farmer would still grow the maximum quantity of wheat if £1 was taken off offal. 1 ’

We had evidence that pollard is sold in England at £6 10s a ton. Here it is £7 1165. —“1 suppose New Zealand butter is cheaper in England than here.”

Mr F. Waite (Clutha): Sometimes. To the Minister of Commerce (Hon. J. G. Cobbe), witness replied that he recognised the importance of cheap poultry food, and it would be the duty of the milling industry to discriminate between poultry food and milling wheat as to prices charged. Dealing with the question of supplies to the pig industry, witness said if that industry set up an organisation to buy in wholesale quantities, he saw no reason why it should not be supplied. Mr R. K. Ireland, chairman of directors of Distributors, Ltd., was recalled, and tendered further evidence of a confidential nature regarding his company’s balance-sheets, and the flourmilling industry generally. Replying to Mr J. McCombs (Labour, Lyttleton), witness said he was afraid that some of the mills this year were going to show a certain amount of loss; but he thought that the mills controlled by his organisation would return a small ’profit. Efficiency of working made all the difference. Mr J. A. Macpherson (United, Oamaru) asked what the year 1927 was like from a trading point of view, and witness replied that it was one of the most profitable he had experienced for some time. It was a very good year. It was decided to obtain evidence from Dunedin, Christchurch and Wellington contractors who allegedly supplied bread at low rates. The committee adjourned until Tuesday next.