INCREASED EXPORTS

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 11, 13 July 1922, Page 8

INCREASED EXPORTS

SOME SUGGESTIONS TO THAT END

At a meeting of the council of the Wellington Central Chamber of Commerce yesterday,. Mr. C. B. Buxton made some interesting remarks in moving for the appointment of a committee to consider and report on the question of making suggestions to the Government as to methods whereby our exports may be increased.

"The matter of increased production of the Dominion's exports is one which vitally affects the future of all taxpayers in the community," said Mr. Buxton. "We are carrying one of the greatest per capita public debts of any country in the Empire, and are probably at the same time in a better position, to pay our indebtedness than any other land under the Union Jack. Nevertheless, it is a clearly established fact that our country is not producing anything approaching its full productive capacity. I wish it to be clearly understood that the main increased production I am referring to is the produce off the soil. I am aware that there are many secondary industries that could be helped along, but in.my opinion, the base of all permanent success in New Zealand is its exports.

"We all know of many hundreds of farms to-day that are not turning off nearly the quantity of produce that they are capable of doing. I know personally of many excellent dairy farms in Taranaki, Manawatu, and Waikato that would carry considerably more stock if they were more improved. The same is the case with sheep country. There are in many parts of New Zealand stretches of miles upon miles of land capable of growing good wool and mutton, which is still standing bush. Up fai the pumice area there are many hundreds of thousands of acres of land in its virgin state, growing a little tussock and scrub, that is just as good land as blocks that have promiscuously been improved, and that are turning out large quantities of dairy produce per annum. "Two blocks I have in mind that have had the luck to be improved are Repararoa, on the Rotorua-Taupo road, and Maraetai, on the Lichfield-Atiamuri road. Repararoa was taken up in its native state of tussock and scrub, by Messrs. Stead and Watt, considerably improved, and then sola to the D.S.S. Department. I believe it is one of the most successful soldier settlements we have. Maraetai was taken up by a Christchurch syndicate, 'who sold some of it to men who had the money to carry out the improvement, and, it is now turning out a very considerable quantity di. produce p_er year. There' are vast quantities of this same land which only requires improvements to be equally productive. . .

"We have an asset in the Dominion's share in the Ngaru phosphate agreement, that if properly worked, would go a long way towards ■ repaying the cost of the war. Practically all our dairy country is starving for the very manure whicTi the war has resulted in us obtaining in the raw for a very low price. I 1 do not think it at all unreasonable to assume that we could at least double our dairy exports if the land suitable for dairying could be opened up and manured with Ngaru phosphate either ground or turned into superphosphates. "There are many more methods by which our exports could be increased, but basic necessity at every turn is money. Primary producers to-day cannot obtain money excepting on extreme margins of security. Any private lender or trust advancing money to a farmer has to pay up to 8s 9d in the £1 taxation on his annual return. The same tender advancing money to a local body vould only be required to pay 2s 6d in the £1. This means that a farmer has to pay 10 per cent, for his first mortgage money to be an. equivalent investment for the lender to any of the very large number of local body debenture issues that (.re at present on the market in the Dominion. There are probably several bclutions to the difficulty, but the most simple appears to me .to be that the Government should agree to assist the local bodies to do their financing outside New Zealand, and thatia iendei advancing money to a farmer should not be so heavily penalised for doing ao. "I would suggest, and beg to move that 'a special committee i:e set i>p to consider the advisability of suggesting to the Government methods whe.i-«by. exports may be increased.' Simh a committee could probably evolve .some sound practical and structive policy that the Government would probably be agreeable to accept. I think most people are beginning to realise that the surest w ay to reduce general taxation in New Ze?iand is by way of increasing our exports, and it is up to the city dwellers to give every assistance in a movement of this nature."

After a brief c!iscii3sion,. in vhich tho relative merits of internal and external borrowing were considered, Mr. Bt'xton agreed to submit a definite scheme for the consideration of the council of the Chamber at its next meeting.