PROTECTING NEW ZEALAND'S BREAD AND BUTTER.

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 36, 11 August 1930, Page 17

PROTECTING NEW ZEALAND'S BREAD AND BUTTER.

If those opposing the' wheat and -flour duties wore sincere they would also aim at the removal of .import duties on butter.

Now Zealand butter is protected by tho following duties: 2d a pound on Australian butter, 20 per cent, on butter from other British countries, and 40 p'or cent.. on foreign butter. It is not hero suggested that these duties aro hot warranted. Tho vastly important butter industry deserves every possiblo safeguard. On the other hand, Now Zealand wheat and Hour have even greater -need for protection. Most localJy grown foodstuffs, in fact, are protected from foreign competition, yot seemingly because wheat-growing is practically confined to the South Island, it has become tho object of attack of certain North Island organisations. The protection afforded tho New Zealand wheat and flour industries is through a sliding scale of duties which protect both the local producer and the consumer. The extent of this protection is not nearly so great as the public aro sometimes led to believe. For the year 1928, the average rate of duty paid on flour coming to Now Zealand was £2 11s 2d per ton; in 1929, £2 10s 4d; and in 1930 £2 11s 3d. The local price being £16 15s per ton means that tlio average duty has been approximately only 15 per cent.1 This ia a comparatively low rate which is more than justified by the national and economic importance of tho industry which is protected. After all, the price of bread in New Zealand is not affected to any appreciable extent by the wheat and flour duties. Authentic figures recently published throughout tho Domillion showed that bread in New Zealand costs very slightly more than1 bread in. Australia, and considerably loss than the prices ruling in Canada and the United States. Incidentally, i;hi;a.p wheat is available in all three countries niimtinnnfl. —Published by arnuigpmrnt.