Dominion Tariffs and British Quotas

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21096, 22 February 1934, Page 8

Dominion Tariffs and British Quotas

In a short statement, printed yesterday, Mr Coates completely and plainly made an end of the theory that New Zealand can buy an unrestricted British market by abolishing or lowering the tariffs on British goods; and it ; will be astonishing if anything further is heard of it. What Mr Coates said was so to the point and so necessary that it is a pity he did not say it, or was not in a position to say it, much sooner; for this fallacious theory has long been current and has gained dangerous credence through the support of several of the farmers' leaders. Mr Coates is right, of course, in saying that the Ottawa discussions produced no evidence to suggest that the British Government wanted to drive, or could be persuaded into accepting, a bargain of this kind. He might have said, further, as "The Press" has said many times, that all the visible facts deny the possibility of it. But it has not until now been known that the New Zealand Government, for the sake of certainty, has consulted the British Government on the question and has received an answer in terms too explicit to be mistaken. The reply was that such an arrangement "could not be considered." and, in Mr Coatees words, " it was " emphasised that the policy adopted " by the Government in the United

" Kingdom was designed to promote" !" planned marketing of agricultural! " products . . . and looked to an I "orderly increase of production.'" j In one sense, this may be said to : tell New Zealand farmers the worst; | they know now, what they ought I never to have been persuaded to '. doubt, that Great Britain is follow- j ing a determined policy of agricul- j tural protection and market control, j In a much more valid sense, this is ! not " the worst" at all; it defines a ; situation, broadly, in which it is, necessary to seek the accommoda- ! tion of interests and certainly possible to hope for it. " The worst" j lies, in fact, in the situation that ! now exists, with dairy prices at a disastrous level, with competition murderously keen, and with no cer- j tainty of relief or sure prospect of j stability. !