RUSSIAN BUTTER

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 8, 9 July 1931, Page 10

RUSSIAN BUTTER

"RUTHLESS WARFARE"

EFFECT ON EMPIRE

THE ONLY DEFENCE

Beference to Bussian butter and its probable effect on the Empire product was made by Mr. A. M. Samuel, M.P., in tho course of an, address to tho New Zealand Farmers' Union Conference today. Mr. Samuel rpcently returned from a trip abroad.

"There seems to be a conflict of opinion regarding the inlluence of Bussian butter on our British markets," ho said. "This is because of the fact that in tho immediate past the amount of Bussian produce, compared with the actual consumption of Britain, has not been great. Some aro inclined to ignore the economic danger of her present campaign.

"Although butter of good quality is being sent from Bussia to England at dumping prices, it is the effect on the markets of the near future of which we must be apprehensive. We must be alive to the fact that the present sales arc for the purpose of establishing credits for Russia, enabling her to purchase the most up-to-date 'machinery for equipping factories to pursue an intensive policy of manufacturing primary products on the latest scientific basis. Owing to her vast resources of raw material and conscription of labour, together with her determination to become a dominant factor in world production, she is bound to become a serious menace to tho primary producers of the British Empire. Her insistence in selling her produce below tho ruling price, for that of the Empire product makes it clear that the return which the New Zealand farmer is to receive in the future will bo based upon that set by Bussia. This ruthless economic warfare on the part of tho Soviot can only, in my opinion, be effectively met by some form of tariff giving preference to Empire products. , A GRAVE WARNING. "To show how seriously the position is viewed in England, let mc place on record the remarks of Mr. H. E. Davis, the representative of the New Zealand Dairy Produce Board in .London. Mr. Davis issues a grave warning about the effect on British and Empire markets of the introduction of Bussian. butter into Great Britain. Speaking at Bonar Law College, Ashbridge, on 24th May last, he said: 'Information just received from Bussia showed that throughout tho Ukraine dairy factories were being built along the most modern lines in preparation for enormous exports of butter. The entry of Bussian butter lies not in. quantities now landing iv London, but in the Bussian potentialities, with labour conditions which would not bo tolerated in the British Empire. In order to swamp the Empire within tho next five years, motor-trucks and railway refrigerator cars were being constructed to ensure swift transmission from dairy centres to ports. Peasants under strict discipline were being sent in groups to farms under the collective farm plan, and stud animals were being drawn from all European countries in preparation for a big increase in production. This had a real significance.' MR. DAVIS UNAFRAID. "If the menace were not a real one," said Mr. Samuel, "would our representative in London bo so perturbed? I am glad to see that Mr. Davis has tho welfare of the Dominion so much at heart that he is unafraid to issue this grave warning. Two days before I left England tho unloading of 15,000 barrels of butter iv tho Port of London, part of a consignment of two million pounds' worth, was viewed with the greatest alarm, especially in view of tho fact that England had recently been flooded with other products of Bussia at dumped prices," and produced under conditions which would not be tolerated in a British country. These' products included wheat, timber, matches, sweets, and even Easter eggs, at prices which wero driving the British workmen out of employment. .Fancy atheist Bussia supplying England with Easter eggs! The shipment of butter evoked a storm of protest from newspapers, and from people all over Britain. The' greatest anger was expressed.at the fact -that this butter was to bo blended with tho British or Empire, and resold. One such letter of protest to the 'Daily Mail,' of ,13th May, states: 'We sing "Britons never shall be slaves," out so long as we continue to purchase from such a depraved nation as Busisa in preference to our own or Empire products, wo arc slaves buying slave-made goods to the detriment of producers of all classes at Home, as well as throughout the Empire. Farmers are asking how thoy can pay their way in face of such unfair competition." PRESS COMMENT. "The 'Glasgow Herald' of 13th May, in an article headed 'Empire Trade, the British Housewives' Opportunity,' points out that. Mr. Harold M. Ford, commercial manager of the Port of Glasgow, is making an urgent appeal to housewives to refuse to allow one fraction of Bussian butter to enter their homes. This sentimental appeal may be of some help, but in my opinion the protection of our primary producers will have to be brought about by more drastic means. "As a further evidence of this Bussian menace, I will place on record the leading article-of the 'Daily Mail' of 11th May last:— " 'To-day, the Soviet steamer Alexol Eykov is due to unload 10,000 barrels of Bussian butter in\ the Port of London. This is a further move in tho campaign of mischief on which the Soviet is embarking. Moscow has already dealt a terrible blow at arable | farming in this country and the Dominions by dumping wheat on an enormous scale at a knock-out price. It is still continuing the process with dumped butter in order to ruin our dairy farmers. No other Government but the British would permit dumping of this malicious kind to be carried on to tho destruction of its own industries. The Soviet can undersell any business in the world. It makes use of forced labour which it treats abominably, and! miserably underpays. While this butter is being sold here at an absurdly low figure, according to witnesses whoi have recently visited Bussia, butter, there is "unobtainable" because of an*, "acute shortage." The wretched Bus-, sinus arc starved that we may bo ruined. These Soviot proceedings demand, combined action by the Powers of Europo and tho United States. In the interests of humanity goods which ana produced in foul" conditions by slave labour should be banned or subjected to a specially heavy import duty.' Thesis few illustrations should prove conclusively to tho primary producers of Neu/ Zealand that the Bussian menace is ji real one, and that it is difficult to understand any statement to tho contrary . "I would like to emphasise the poim t that tho matters I have pointed out today are so important that in my opi t)iiou the representatives of the'primary producers should immediately get bus(y and appoint a committee to go thoroughly into the questions of the qualify of some of our primary products, the betterment of selling organisations, and tho urgent necessity of extending o'ir.roverseas markets. Tlie economic- battle is being so fiercely waged; and com - petition is so keen in quality and pri-a c that consumers can afford to bo iutetu-

sively crilii eal. Therefore it behoves us to see ;that our Now Zealand products attain and maintain tho highest standard of perfection."