PRIMARY PRODUCE FOR BRITAIN

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22370, 6 April 1938, Page 9

PRIMARY PRODUCE FOR BRITAIN

REGULATED SUPPLIES PROPOSED CONFERENCE RESOLUTION AT SYDNEY MR W, W. MULHOLLAND URGES FARMERS TO ORGANISE (UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION-COPYRIGHT.) (Received April 5, 5.5 p.m.) SYDNEY, April 5. The agreement reached at the Empire producers’ conference is regarded as a compromise on the proposals made by Sir Reginald Dorman Smith after a conference of the leaders of the delegations. Mr W. W. Mulholland, president of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union, moving a series of resolutions, which was ultimately carried, said that to get together Empire producers in effective organisations might and could mean a very great deal to them. The Empire was so situated that it was particularly fortunate in having a year-round supply of the most important produce that it consumed, but it was not so fortunately situated in the actual marketing of produce. Naturally there would be a continuous supply of all products going to the United Kingdom market in a stream very closely approximating the market demand. Actually in one season there were oversupplies, and in another lesser supplies, with the result that quite frequently the price that the producer received was depressed. However, no advantage accrued to the consumer, because almost invariably market movements caused the appearance of speculators, who took up the slack and made quite a bit of money out of it. It was therefore in the interests of the consumer as well as of the producer that supplies to the United Kingdom market should be regulated. There was also the point that a regulated market could absorb more than one in which supplies fluctuated. It was also important that the regulation of supplies should be handled by the producers in the producers’ interests.

There had to be a “get together” movement among Dominion farmers, which would take a little time to accomplish, but while that was a difficulty he did not wish to minimise, he did not think it was a difficulty which could not be overcome.

The conference carried a resolution urging the Empire Governments to re-examine their tariff policies in foreign and Imperial trade treaty commitments with a view to making adjustments, which might be followed by foreign countries, to the benefit of Empire products.

The conference also carried a resolution urging the revival of international trade to meet the needs of primary producers and to assist the promotion of world peace. Sif Reginald Dorman Smith, when acknowledging the gift of a polished mulga inkstand, expressed the opinion that the conference had started a new era of co-operation and goodwill. Similar gifts were made to the New Zealand and other visiting delegations.