N.Z. POTATOES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 43, 20 February 1935, Page 18

N.Z. POTATOES.

THAT EMBARGO.

VICTORIANS' ATTITUDE.

DEPUTATION TO MINISTER.

(From Our Own Correspondent.)

SYDNEY, February 13

As .the opposition to the importation of NeW Zealand potatoes into Australia comes very largely from Victoria, some interest attaches to the interview which took place in Melbourne last week between a delegation from the Victorian Potato and Onion Growers' Association and the Federal Minister of The deputation was introduced by Mr. Sisken, M.P., who assured the Minister that the proposal to remove the embargo on New Zealand potatoes was being Opposed by the growers solely because* of the danger of disease being introduced. He «as followed by the president of the association, Mr. Hogan, who informed the Minister that "Australian potato growers are determined to oppose the removal of the ban." He added that "there is over-production of potatoes in Australia." but here his reasoning becomes difficult to follow. The price of potatoes is so much affected here by a slight decrease in the supply that it is no uncommon event for potatoes to jump from £10 to £14 and £10 per ton within a week, or even within two or three days. This certainly suggests that there is never any surplus for the market to fall back 'upon, and it also seems to indicate that those who, like Mr. Hogan. maintain that there is over-production of potatoes, mean that they want the supply kept down so that they can always be sure of something like £10 a ton. To say, after this, that our potato growers do not. wish to establish or maintain a monopoly seems to throw a heavy strain on human credulity.

Case for New Zealand. Mr. Hogan concluded -with a rather pathetic appeal to the Minister: "If the Federal Government could do nothing to help potato growers, it should jnot do anything to hurt them." But Mr. White, in his reply, was hardly as encouraging as the delegates desired. He pointed out that New Zealand deserves some consideration in this matter, because "it buys twice as much from Australia as Australia buys in return." Also, he reminded them, "there is an embargo in Xew Zealand on Australian citrus fniits, which arc regarded there in much the same way as Australians regard Xew Zealand potatoes." The citrus growers want the potato ban lifted so thrft Xew Zealand may reciprocate. But the Xew Zcalanders arc afraid of importing fruit disease with their oranges, and at the same time they hold that forms of potato disease already exist in Victoria.

Of course the delegation vehemently assured the Minister that Victoria 'is free from any such taint. But Mr. White lias evidently "got up" his case carefully, and New Zealand potato growers can depend upon getting a "fair deal" at Canberra. Whether the Federal Government can afford to ignore the opposition of the Victorian and Tasmanian potato growers to any tampering with the embargo is another matter.

A Matter of Politics. Mr. White will, of course, report the views expressed by this delegation to the Federal But those who desire to exercise exclusive control over the Australian potato market are not likely to change their views and admit a dangerous competitor; and as Dr. Karle Page Ts strongly attracted to the idea of Protection as applied to primary produets—though not to manufactured ■roods —the potato growers can, generally speaking, depend on the support of the Country party, which is particularly influential in * Government circles just now.