STATEMENT DENIED

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 139, 9 March 1943, Page 4

STATEMENT DENIED

Prices Britain Paying For Dairy Produce

U.S.A. AND DOMINION

“It is a most vicious statement and one that has Stirred up the whole country,” said the Minister of Marketing, Mr. Barclay, replying during the Address-in-Reply debate in the House of Representatives yesterday afternoon to allegations that United States of America was receiving a higher price for primary produce shipped to Great Britain than the United Kingdom Government was paying New Zealand. The Minister said that the statement had received wide circulation through newspapers and the matter had been raised in the House by the member for Waikato. He had cabled the British Government a few days ago and had received a full reply. “The statement being put round the Dominion is that the United States is receiving 2/10 per lb. sterling for its butter sold to the United Kingdom, while New Zealand is receiving 1/3.9 per lb., and 1/8J per lb. for cheese, while New Zealand is receiving 8.73 d.,” the Minister continued. "It was also stated that this meant that New Zealand should be receiving about £22,000,000 more for butter aud £10,000,000 for cheese. “The cablegram which the. Government has received from the United Kingdom Government in response to our inquiries states in the first place that no butter is being shipped from the United States to Britain,” said Mr. Barclay. ’ln the second place Britain is paying 6.2 id. per lb. sterling to the United States for cheese while she is paying New Zealand i .82'1. for our cheese, a difference in our favour of more than a penny-halfpenny per lb. The Minister said that the statement alleging that the United States was receiving more than the Dominion had a more upsetting influence than any ..made for a long time. From the information just to hand from the United Kingdom Government it would be seen that it was absolutely incorrect. The United States was sending no butter whatever to Britain and was getting less than New Zealand for its cheese, which was going into Britain on the lease-lend policy anyway. A Government member: Who made the The Minister: I don’t know, but it was incorrect, as the cable shows.