TRADE WITH BRITAIN

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21536, 27 July 1935, Page 25

TRADE WITH BRITAIN

TO THB BMTOK OT THE VMtM. Sir,—Along with every other thinking New Zealander, I read with the greatest pleasure the result of the meat conference in London. I also noted in "The Press" the jubilation expressed by prominent farmers and others. Then your cartoonist illustrated very cleverly the importance of the occasion with two figures representing the New Zealand farmer and the New Zealand exporter dancing hand in hand in high glee, accompenied by frolicsome lambs. This all seemed to conform with the pleasant relief v/e all felt that Mr Coates had been able to make a deal in London that had been so acceptable to us at a time when things did not seem to be going very well. That is all very pleasant, but unfortunately there is another side to the story, and I write In the hope that some very serious thought might be given to it. Trie day after this pleasant news came through from London, I met a friend of mine, who is, in fact, a farmer in quite a big way. In the course of conversation he was most enthusiastic about the magnificent gesture England had extended in granting us favourable terms in a most favourable meat agreement which allowed for expansion during the next two seasons. Imagine my consternation then, when in the next breath he told me that he had just bought an American motor-car, and that is my point. Visit any sale at Addmgton any country sale, any wool sale, and, in fret, any function where our farmers congregate, and what do we find? Rows and rows of foreign motor-cars running on foreign tyres. using foreign petrol and foreign oil. How in the face of this fact our farmers can have the cheek to ask the people of England to buy their produce beats me. Farmers must knowwhere their wool is sold, where thenmutton is sold, and where their lr-rno is sold, and yet they disturb their only market by buying foreign goods. On making enquiries I disclosed the disturbing fact that during the five months. January to May of this year. Zealand imported from America 4989 motor vehicles, and for the same neried onlv 3849 motor vehicles from England How can wc exnect any concp«sir»ns from London when this st°te of affairs exists, and unfort.nnaMv thfarmer is the worst offender. If this goes on will our ne: u meat with London be so favourable? I rniPht add that I nm in no way connected vHHi the sales of cars, but I ov/n an EngJ.i-h car. and ?s a N-w Zealander I am Mere*t»d In the devep,r>ment of good relations with the Mother Country .—Yours, etc., ANXIOUS. July 20, 1935.