N.Z. BUTTER IN CANADA.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 19667, 10 July 1929, Page 13

N.Z. BUTTER IN CANADA.

RUMPUS AT OTTAWA. (thom oux owk cobbbspondbht.) VANCOUVER, June 12. Canadian dairy interests are becoming alarmed at the serious effects of the treaties arranged by Canada with both Australia and New Zealand, and the matter was ventilated somewhat heatedly in Parliament when the Hon. J. A. Kobb, Minister for Finance, said: "I wish to show briefly the effect of the New Zealand agreement on the dairy industry and upon agriculture generally in Canada. In the fiscal year 1925-1926 just before the New Zealand treaty came into effect, Canada had an export surplus of butter of some 23,000,000 pounds, while for the fiscal year ending March 31st, 1929, Canada had to import some 25,000,000 pounds of butter to meet her own requirements. "But the dairy industry is not the only branch of agriculture which is being affected adversely by this trade agreement. Other classes of farm products, such as are being produced m Canada, are coming into the country in ever-increasing quantities. Let me refer to frozen beef. We find that frozen, chilled, and fresh beef came into Canada from New Zealand last year in quite an increased quantity over the importations of previous years, the increase between the 5"" 1926 and 1929 amounting to 1.87j..00'> pounds. The same can be sai d of fresh, frozen, and chilled mutton. * n regard to other farm products of a class and kind produced" by Canadian farmers there was imported into Canada during the fiscal yc» r A. some 2,725,000 dollars worth from >ew Zealand, and in the year 19-8 orer 9.4 >i 000 dollars worth, or an increase or j mw $,736,000 doilfcsa.

: "To iny mind the remedy is simple, 'ifeaaures should at once be taken by the Government to ensure the full I benefit of ihe home market to the \ Canadian producer. I fully believe in i the development of trade within the Empire. Nothing is more desirable than trade agreement* of mutual advantage between sister Dominions; but we cannot afford to pay too high a price to attain that objeet. The ruina- ' tion of the dairy industry is too great a price to pay. We cannot afford to purchase trade concessions in foreign markets for 'some of our industries, if the whole burden is to be borne by some other industry. I believe the Government should negotiate with New Zealand with a view to bringing about a more equitable trade arrangement. I* that cannot be accomplished the agreement should be terminated before our dairy industry i* absolutely bankrupt." Other speakers, mostly in condemnation of the Canadian-New Zealand trade arrangement, followed. One spoke of New Zealand butter being enclosed in Canadian wrappers and sold to the unsuspecting consumer as Canadian batter.

The Minister, ia bis reply, said: "I am thoroughly convinced that putting a cent or two on butter would not benefit the farmer in the long run because as we can see in Australia today the farmers are caught in a vicious circle. The farming population in Auitralia at the present time is in a worse condition than th« farmers of Canada, and the same is true of the farming population of the United States, and the reason is just this: They are working in a vicious circle of high production costs which more than counterbalance anv increase in production which they" may hare. I hope to see the day when the farmers of Canada will enjoy prosperity in an increasing measure. I deplore the effect of present world conditions on agriculture — not Canadian conditions —but world conditions." Following many other comments <ra serious phases of' Canadian afs/ienlture, the Hgqge voted to £© into Oommitt«e