FARMERS AND BRITISH GOODS

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 14, 16 July 1931, Page 21

FARMERS AND BRITISH GOODS

(To the Editor.) Sir,—Some of the sentiments expressed by some members of the Farmers' Union ut their annual meeting were admirable, iiuil ure to bo commended. Those 'who advocated "Buy British • made Goods" did .so because they recognised that it is absolutely necessary to support those that support them. Having been under the impression that the primary producers of this country always purchased goods from Great Britain, especially goods used in their, own industry, I was surprised, to learn that the farmers, especially the dairy farmers, imported practically nothing from Great' Britain which was used on their farms. I learn that the dairy farmers may use a little English grass seed, but this commodity seems to be the limit of British goods which the farmer uses in his production of butter and cheese. The dairy.farmer, I am told, uses the following articles, none of which comes from Britain:—Tractor (Canada or America), basic slag_(from Belgium), farm implements (various couutrJes), milking machines, if any (from Denmark or Sweden), truck to take milk from farm to factory (Canada or America). The butter made at the factory is wrapped in paper from Sweden, put in a box from Norway, and nailed and wired with material from Canada. On account of the embargo on imported stock from the Old Country the farmer depends on his herds from local supplies, so that so far as the dairy farmer is concerned he buys very little, if anything, from Britain. The meat industry is not much better. Even the sheep cloths come from Japan. There may be exceptions to the above policy in the farming industry, but I am informed that those conditions which I have enumerated are the general rule. One wonders what the people of Britain think when they read in the papers speeches made by Sir Thomas Wilford and Sir James Parr on the question of Empire preference, when they read of ship after ship leaving England in ballast and returning there loaded to the Plimsol with New Zealand produce—when thejj learn that importations from Great Britain have practically ceased, whilst transhipments from the Continental ports are the main cargo brought to. New Zealand in British ships. The failure of the last loan in London is an indication of what the financiers think of the situation, but that is uothing compared to what the buyers of New Zealand produce will think if the position is put before them. Some of the English papers made a feature of Russian butter being dumped into London, and several of our farmer friends are of the opinion that it is a challenge to Empire producers. The amount of Russian butter sent to London was very small compared with that from Denmark and other Continental countries, yet nothing was said about that. It is the opinion of the writer that first-class New Zealand butter can hold its own with any country, and therefore has nothing to fear from Russia or anyone else. But those .who have read Foster Fraecr's "Real Siberia" realise that Russia hos huge tracts of rich dairy land, and it only needs the application of modern scientific methods .to produce an enormous.amount of dairy produce. However, Russia has also a large population, nd when things are stabilised they will probably consume most, if not all she can produce. Russia is also buying large quantities of British goods, and from the point of view of the British public it would be folly not to support cheap produce, because they are forced to buy in the cheapest market as we are. It behoves the New Zealand farmer to put into practice that oft-mentioned slogan "Buy British Goods" in every instance if he has to depend on his credit from England.—l am, etc., v W. H. DOUGLAS.