Trade With Britain

Dominion, Volume 27, Issue 59, 2 December 1933, Page 9

Trade With Britain

Sir, —It was indeed refreshing to read in to-day’s “Dominion” that the Hon. Mr. Masters, while speaking at Dunedin, had admitted that Britain had a duty to perform to her own farmers. This. I think, she has realised by imposing a duty on importations of butter from Denmark and a restriction on imports of meat from other countries.

Whether tlie exporter to Britain is a foreigner or a colonial does not alter the question of Britain’s right to protect her own producers and taxpayers.. Such being the case she has a perfect right to impose a quota or duty on any goods imported. It might be advisable for us to fare the fact that Britain cannot afford to lose her Danish butter market, as owing to the severe reduction in the strength tlie British Navy she is no longer in a position to protect the long trade routes of which her Navy was capable up to the end of the war. One of the most serious consequences to Germany during the war was the shortage of fats. Britain took all the fats from Denmark. Had Germany been able to get them the war may have had a very different ending. Germany, however, could not spare the four or five divisions to take Denmark —and it was certainly contemplated—nor the necessary two or three divisions to hold it.

What is the position to-day? Britain with a small Navy! Dominions with practically no defence expenditure! New Zealand with not even a territorial force I Result: Britain cannot give up the nearby markets from whence she draws her food supplies, because to-day these are the only routes she can adequately protect.

The Hon. Minister stated that Britain is increasingly developing her own agricultural resources. Is not the reason obvious? It is not just to ask the overburdened taxpayer of Britain to pay more for a larger Navy to protect the distant sources of supply. That should be our affair

■When we wish to commence an industry here we at once use the means of taxing the British manufacturer out. It that is a reasonable method we must perforce admit that Britain also has the right to impose quotas or even duties. It must be remembered that we started that method first. The man or woman about town should ask a shopkeeper to show him. or her, an invoice of the cost of goods purchased in Britain, and the final cost of the goods landed here, Tlie time will come, Mr. Editor, when W.' shall not get things all our own way, and there will be a good reason for it.— 1 HALFPENNY OR THE TOFFEE. Napier, November 29.