RECIPROCAL TRADE

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 112, 7 November 1935, Page 23

RECIPROCAL TRADE

MR. BOTHAMLEY'S VIEWS

In an address to the electors at Weraroa on Tuesday night the Democrat'candidate for Otaki, Mr. R. W. Bothamley, outlined his party's policy, and received an attentive hearing.

.■Referring, to. the question of Government interference in private enterprise, the candidate said -that no full amount of ■liberty. could exist without the economic freedom of the individual, and it was the intention of the Democrat Party to restore this economic freedom to the individual, irrespective of the supreme council of agriculture or any other body". In other words,, the Democrat Party stood definitely for the complete liberation of the individual and the family. ■ ■ On the question of the artificial rate of exchange, Mr. Bothamley outlined the detrimental effect this had on the community as a whole, and stated that as there were approximately between 2000 and 3000. big sheep farmers whose export value of produce amounted to nearly 75 per cent, of the total mutton and 'wool export, it was easy, stated the candidate, to see who were really reaping the benefit. Mr. Bothamley contended that the. present artificial rate, of exchange merely provided a temporary, costly, uneconomic, and i inequitable method of guarantee, but it ultimately cancelled itself out. ' . TRADE. WITH, ENGLAND. Referring to the report of the Tariff Commission, Mr. Bothamley advocated greater support to the Old Country, and; stressed the necessity of the people of' this Dominion appreciating that they should buy all they could from English manufacturers. England required our help in reciprocal trade, as she had tremendous difficulties to cdntend with. The candidate dealt with the assembly of motor vehicles in the Dominion, and said that any protection extended to manufacturers of (motor vehicles outside the United Kingdom failed to offer inducement.to the workers in the Old Country to purchase our primary products, which automatically retarded the stimulation of reciprocal trade between the United Kingdom and this Dominion. In the face of the Tariff Commission's report, the Government granted privileges which facilitated the assembling of motor vehicles manufactured outside the United Kingdom. Unfortunately, many primary' producers, and others disregarded the all-important fact that unless the workers, in the Old Country were supported by the people of this Dominion purchasing .the product of their labour, then this Dominion must experience grave economic difficulties in the. years to come. The 10 per cent, preference granted by the Government on motor parts for assembly in this Dominion was not a fair deal to manufacturers of cars in the United Kingdom. !.[" A vote of thanks to Mr. Bothamley. for his address was moved by Mr. S:: Morris, seconded by Mr. C. Symonds, and carried.