Trade With Britain

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 247, 16 July 1935, Page 11

Trade With Britain

Sir.—Mr W. Stuart Wilson’s letter under the above heading is surely an epic ef illogical reasoning. While he hesitatingly concurs with the statement that Britain is our best market, he makes the very remarkable charge that Britain seems determined to keep us perpetually insolvent. Apparently site must have the same designs on Denmark and Argentina, who receive no better treatment than we do. Tut! Tut!

But Mr. Wilson’s suggested line of action to combat these villain Britishers and their vested interests is, better still. He says we must refuse to offer our produce at anything less than a fair price. Perhaps Mr. Wilson will enlighten us on what we are to do with the produce, if our ideas and Britain’s differ on what that fair price is. Must we dump it or distribute it to the poor? The disposal of £35,000,000 worth of produce would be as difficult to arrange as the loan to cover our losses. However, Mr. Wilson caps even this by his remark that we must take goods only from those countries that pay us a fair price for our products. Where, oh where, outside Britain, are countries that will take our products at any price? The year book shows that Britain purchases from us £29,302,000 more than all other countries of the world combined.

These figures, I contend, sum up the position perfectly. It is no overstatement to say that our economic safety is dependent on Britain’s acceptance of our goods. In face of this, the idea of New Zealand going all autocratic and making demands is too ridiculous. To ensure preferential treatment, we must play fair and buy from those who buy from us. Our continued purchase of goods from foreign countries which buy little or nothing from us is not only truculent from the British viewpoint, it is the essppee of foolhardiness from our own. The wonder of it is that Britain does not reprimand us. by affording preferential treatment to Denmark and Argentina, who give her better reciprocal treatment than we do. —I am, etc., JOHN PEEL. Wellington. July 12.