DAIRY INDUSTRY

Dominion, Volume 27, Issue 183, 2 May 1934, Page 10

DAIRY INDUSTRY

Call For Leadership ATTITUDE TO BRITAIN ' Mr. Coates Advises Producers By Telegraph.—Press Association, Auckland, May 1. - The opinion that the position which the dairying industry had reached to*, day was the result of the industry refusing to allow discussion of the British request that New Zealand should cooperate in an effort to improve prices was expressed by the Minister of Finance (the Rt. Hon. J. G, Coates) last evening in a speech at Papakura. On all occasions when Britain made a special request, said Mr. Coates, New Zealand should take it seriously and discuss it. This had not- been done. The Dairy Board had been divided in its opinions. A “fifty-fifty” division of opinion would , lead to ruin. I , He did not want them to think he was blaming the Dairy Board, he said; the Government might have been at fault.* To-day they were facing a crisis, and there was no alternative but for the Government to make a decision. It was essential to have the co-opera-tion of the industry, but first of all the matter required leadership. “I have been accused of being one who advocates planning,” said Mr. Coates. J“I definitely am a planner. For the life of me I cannot see how in the present economic-ebnditions we will get anywhere. unless we have a plan. It may mean control or regulation, and it may leave the responsibility on certain shoulders, but we must have our policy and our programme.” Ottawa ; Mr.’ Coates reviewed the Ottawa agreements, and referred to New Zealand’s exports to Britain of primary products. New Zealand had overstepped the mark, he said, and it was very unfortunate that we did. It was a case of too many cooks. An eagle eye should be kept on exports from New Zealand. , /■'!.■. , In the next few years, he thought, there would be a very marked development in chilled beef. They would need , to be very wary of bringing, about a breach between British and Nqw Zealand agriculturists. As a result of the War the policies of the various countries grew to be policies of self-sufficiency. Britain now said that she had to look after her own farmers.- Was it possible for these producers to be content to try to compete against other countries’ surpluses? . ' ' j' ■ ? All countries were planning, and New Zealand could not stand out. Whether they, agreed with quotas did not matter very much. Quotas were there, and they could .not avoid them." Tliey could make it difficult for the United King; dom, but they had no right to make it difficult. They must stand by the Motherland. Tliey could not allow the gap to grow’, but must make every effort to close it) By far the best plan for New Zealand was to endeavour to work with Britain on the basis of quantitative regulation. j ’ '“Britain is just as good a place as, Denmark for, cows,” said Mr. Coates “and they cab increase their cows in no time. With a subsidy for surplus milk in Britain, New Zealand in my opinion is up against an almost hopeless position as far as cheese is concerned.”. ■■ ■ ■ : . . ’ ' Disheartening Position. As a result of the hesitating of the leaders of the industry in refusing to allow the leaders of the Government to discuss the situation, the position had become disheartening, but they had to pull themselves out, and he thought they could do it. There was a warm feeling for New Zealand at Home, and it was up to the Dominion to cooperate. • '• 1 A cablegram ' had .been dispatched, and , a reply was expected to-day as to what Britain was prepared tp Suggest.-; //. * , ■. ' , Mr. Coates said that there was no division in the National Cabinet to-day concerning Britain’s policy of promoting planned marketing. Political thought in Britain more or less unanimous that this policy was necessary to .lift the British. farming industry out of the doldrums. Mr. Coates enumerated the questions which fhe New Zealand dairying industry could asl> itself when facing the problem of- the future, and said that there were two phases—organisation within the industry and organisation without. The Government would call in the best advice once they had made up their minds what was to be done. Then they must have people driving along the.same roads. In his opinion there h.qd been a great deal of loose talk about quota proposals. He urged them not to be misled by a proposal to give a subsidy.' They knew that Britain objected to a country which subsidised its exports directly. , ; The best course was to work in a direct line, and in close association with Britain. By doing that they would be doing the best thing to help themselves. NO CABLEGRAM RECEIVED “So far no cablegram' has come to band,” the Prime Minister, Rt Hon. G. W. Forbes, replied lasti evening, when asked if the cable message the New Zealand Government was expecting from the British Government, and to which Mr. Coates had referred in his speech at Papakura, had yet reached the Dominion. , .