FARM TRACTOR IMPORTS

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27533, 15 December 1954, Page 7

FARM TRACTOR IMPORTS

MINISTER URGE© TO MAKE STATEMENT (New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, December 14. The chairman of the North Island hill country committee of Federated Farmers (Mr James Andrew) calls for another statement from the Government about British crawler farm tractors. “I notice that the Minister of Customs has not yet disclosed the names of the British agricultural crawler tractors which he has stated publicly are freely available and comparable with the variety of well-tried American machines on which he has recently imposed a duty of 10 per cent.,” he says. ‘‘lf these comparable British tractors are freely available, why does the Minister keep so silent about them? Why does he not disclose the names of these British machines and of their New Zealand distributors who will benefit directly from the Government’s decision? “While New Zealand farmers are required to sell the bulk of their produce on world markets, surely the commonsense policy for this country is for the Government to encourage farmers to buy the most efficient farm machinery available from any source,” Mr Andrew says. “It is hard to understand this recent Government decision, which will directly increase the capital and operating costs of farmers on marginal land,” Mr Andrew adds.