COMPETITION BY ARGENTINA

Press, Volume XCIV, Issue 28013, 6 July 1956, Page 10

COMPETITION BY ARGENTINA

PRESS COMMENT IN BRITAIN REPLY BY SIR WALTER MULHOLLAND (Special Correspondent N.Z.P.A.) (Rec. 9 p.m.) LONDON. July 5. A statement by the “Daily Express” in a leading article that “New Zealand cannot sell its meat” in Britain was immediately challenged by Sir Walter Mulholland, a member of the New Zealand Meat Board. He telephoned the newspaper to say that New Zealand was Britain’s biggest supplier of meat. The “Daily Express” was commenting in its leading article on the story, which it published by Edwin Trow. “A sheep farmer. Mr Noel McGregor <of Southland) has brought to Britain a sad tale from the Empire—of meat in his native New Zealand that nobody wants to buy. He says that Argentine shipments of meat to I Britain are strangling New Zealand, i “It is the view of many farmers in ; my country that Britain, through buying large quantities of Argentine meat, is also trying to buy good will at the expense of New Zealand.” claims McGregor. “What is the answer to New Zealand’s meat problem?” says farmer McGregor. “A tariff on Argentine meat would 41010 Empire countries.” The “Daily Express” comment in its leading article was:— “While the President of the Board of Trade discusses Austra’iTs complaints about Britain's trading terms, a no less disturbing complaint comes from another Empire land. New Zealand cannot sell its meat and the charge is that Britain is to blame. Britain is buying from the Argentine instead. “Is the charge true? Look at the figures. Britain bought I.Bol.ooocwt of meat from the Argentine in 1954. Last year the total reached more than I 3.ooo.OOOcwt—nearly three times the amount bought from New,Zealand. “And this vear the Argentines expected to do better. Through the rears. New Zealanders have been faithful and true. They have stood by Britain in trouble. They have ■ iven all the help that was in their power to give and what thanks do thev get? Britain turns to the treacherous Argentines who have held this country to ransom in every difficulty. It is a dreadful story. You would think British policy was out to damage the Imperial connexion deliberately ” Sir Walter Mulholland told the “Daily Express”: “It is completely wrong to say that New Zealand canrot sell its meat in the United Kingdom. Last year. New Zealand sold 350.000 tons of meat to the United ' Kingdom. This year to the end of May her exports to the United Kingdom aro running at an annual rate > of 360.000 tons. New Zealand is the I biggest supplier of meat to the United Kingdom of any country in the world.”