Islands Penalised Over Wheat Prices
p. 30 · Read in the full issue
Wheat Prices
THE following letter by Mr. C. Sulli van, well-known Islands merchant, was published in “Sydney Morning Herald” on December 26: “While the Australian Government is prepared to sell wheat to Great Britain at 17/- a bushel, which we believe is 2/5 h below world parity and against which few Australians will complain, it will be noted it is making our good cus tomers in New Caledonia, New Guinea, and the Pacific Islands generally pay for their flour on a basis of a wheat price of 19/51 a bushel.
“In days gone by, when the world suf fered from a surplus of wheat, and other countries now favoured by our Labour Government purchased their wheat and flour elsewhere, the Pacific Islands ob tained all their supplies from Australia Is it because England and New Zealand both have Labour Governments, while the Islands have no political representa tion, that this discrimination is made?
It certainly looks like it, and if the Gov ernment is not prepared to do the right thing, then it is up to some of the Opposi tion members to have the matter venti lated when the Federal Parliament next meets.”