Trade With Russia

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31333, 1 April 1967, Page 12

Trade With Russia

Sir,—The evasive and noncommittal reply by Mr Marshall on the suggestion that Russia would be interested in negotiating for some of our wool if we would reciprocate to the extent of only 20 per cent is another illustration of the Minister’s indifference to healthy, competitive trade. True, selling wool is in the hands of private enterprise; but our right to buy Russian goods in exchange is definitely not If the importers wish to buy any Russian goods which might compete with our manufacture, free enterprise abruptly ceases. The farmers and the general public will have to “sweat it out” until free enterprise is restored to our right to buy as well as sell.—Yours, etc., V. WILKINSON. Convener, Free Enterprise Movement. Ashburton, March 29, 1967.

Sir,- —So the Soviet Union is interested in our 300,000 bales of wool that no-one wants. Mr Shalipnikov has remarked, “Maybe your Government is not interested in expanding trade with us.” The plain fact is that we are only allowed to trade to any extent in the dollar or sterling area. I remember a time when we were only too happy to supply Russia with all the crossbred wool that was available. But of course there was a war on, and Russia was one of our allies. The trend seems to have changed and now we ignore our former allies and pander to our former enemies. Russia could probably supply us with such things as petrol, oil. raw materials, and other essentials much cheaper than the price asked by our present suppliers of these things; but no, someone has said we cannot trade with the Soviet and that is the end of that.-? Yours, etc., percy l. McMillan. Saltwater Creek, March 31, 1967.