Lord Lee announced on Thursday week that the oontrolled price
for home-grown wheat, harvested next year, might be raised to 100s. a quarter. He pointed out that since 1918 out wheat production had greatly diminished, because the controlled price of 768.—which ought, he admitted, to be at least 95a —did not tempt the farmer to grow wheat. We had there. fore to import more wheat from abroad at an average prior of 114s. instead of growing it more cheaply at home. The Government could not relax control and give a free market to wheat—for that would mean a rise in tho price of bread—but they admitted that the farmer should be guaranteed a minimum price, not above and not far below the cost of production, as the Royal Commission had proposed. Lord Lee would not promise a Bill to secure this guaranteed minimum forthwith The Government, he said, would fix the controlled price for next year's British wheat at the average price paid for imported wheat in the year ending with August, 1921, provided that it did not exceed 100s. We fear that this offer will not be much more attractive than the present low price, considering the very high and ever-increasing cost of labour, machinery, fodder, and everything else that is needed on the farm.
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