Before the adjournment, I was adverting to the fact that I understood from the Minister the National Farmers' Association and the Agricultural Production Council were in agreement with the price which he had fixed for wheat in the coming year. The Minister corrected me and said they were not. Some time ago, there appeared to be general agreement, in this House and outside, that increased agricultural production would be the salvation of this country, that it would be the best means of righting the balance of payments problem.
Somehow or other that feeling seems to have evaporated, anyway as far as the farmers are concerned. The announcement of the new price for wheat damped the ardour of the farming community. I know that other people hold different views but I feel that if a plebiscite were taken of the rural community it would be found that a big majority of the people are in favour of an increased price for wheat. That would apply not only to the rural parts of the country but also to the urban districts—the villages and the towns. The cheques for wheat in the harvest time were a God-send to shopkeepers and other business people.
The Minister told us about the higher yields we were getting; he said that the yields appeared to be getting greater each year. That, I think, is due to liming for one thing, to better manuring for another and also possibly to the fact that people understand cultivation better now than they did some years ago. During the war period and afterwards there was a scarcity of manure. I think the greatest single factor responsible for increased yields is the use of the combined corn manure. It is generally used in my part of the country and people find that their yields have increased considerably from its use.
The Minister quoted prices which he said it would be possible for farmers to get for wheat. While he was reading out those figures, I was estimating in my mind that the average price the farmers are likely to get next harvest will be about 65/- per barrel. I have been growing wheat for a long time. I understand the ups and downs of it and that is my opinion of what the price next harvest will be. The Minister quoted probable prices of 78/- per barrel and 81/- per barrel but I do not think the farmers are likely to accept those figures at all.
Senator Burke gave us some fantastic figures. He is not in the House at the moment and I do not want to say that any figure he gave was incorrect. I believe his figures are correct but these things happen only once in a blue moon. There is something like a 3,000 gallon cow but we all know that you will get only one 3,000 gallon cow in 1,000,000. The figures Senator Burke gave would obtain only once in 1,000,000 also. I say that most respectfully. Senator Burke is a very successful businessman, I believe, and if he takes my advice he will keep to his business and forget about the land. Without any advice from me I suppose that is what he will do. I fee sure the Minister would give him the same advice if asked for it.
Senator McCrea is also a businessman. He quoted some fantastic figures also as regards conacre. Of course the story told to us by Senator Burke could very well be responsible for some poor man making a fool of himself for one year. Naturally he would not be such a fool to do the same thing the second year. Senator McCrea said that he was born on the land but that, like all the intelligent people, he had left the land and gone into business. I understand he also is a very successful businessman and I do not think it right that such successful businessmen as Senators Burke and McCrea should be cutting across the struggling farmers in their efforts to make a living.
Senator L'Estrange said he would like to see the farmers getting anything from £4 to £5 a barrel for their wheat. He said he thought it was a great pity we should be introducing politics into this business. I absolutely agree with him. I think that the cut of 12/6 a barrel in the price of wheat was a major political blunder. Beet production in this country is governed by beet costings. The costings last year showed that the farmers were entitled to an increase of 7/- per ton for their beet. There was a little dispute about that and the question was referred to a referee who decided in favour of the 7/- increase which the farmers will now get. I am not a mathematician but if there is any mathematician in the House and if he could relate that increase in the costings of beet to wheat it might work out at much more than what the Minister has given us.