STOCK IMPORTS

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 85, 7 October 1936, Page 13

STOCK IMPORTS

N.Z. EMBARGO

ENGLISH PROTEST

MINISTER IN REPLY

New Zealand's embargo on livestock from the United Kingdom was discussed at the fourteenth Congress of i Chambers of Commerce of the British Empire today when the Congress was asked by the Grimsby Chamber of Commerce to resolve "that in the interests of progressive trade with New Zealand this Congress is of the unanimous opinion that the Government of New Zealand be asked to reconsider, and if thought fit remove, the embargo imposed in, 1923 on direct exports to New Zealand of livestock from the United Kingdom."'

In moving the resolution, Sir Albert Atkey (Nottingham) said that New Zealand was the only Dominion which applied an embargo on British livestock. Surely, if the stock was good enough for the other Dominions, it was good enough for New Zealand. The embargo had been imposed because of the fear of foot-and-mouth disease, but the Home authorities took ample precautions against the spread of disease abroad. Today English livestock could be imported into New Zealand through Australia, and he asked the Dominion Government to take a more catholic view of the situation and lift an irritating embargo. There was a strong feeling among farmers of both England and New Zealand that the ban should be removed, and the departmental experts in New Zealand had also expressed themselves in favour of a reversal of the present policy. The nebulous feeling in favour of a continuation of the embargo had apparently been conjured up by Ministers who did not want to do anything. (Laughter.) Lord Bledisloe had been in favour of a lifting of the embargo. BRITISH PRECAUTIONS. Mr. C. A. L. Treadwell (Hong Kong), who seconded the resolution, said he was hopeful that as a result of the anxiety to harmonise matters that had prevailed throughout the Congress would induce the Government to remove a restriction that was an embarrassment to the breeders of stud stock. Stud stock from New Zealand, Australia, and the United Kingdom was imported into Hong Kong without restriction. The period of incubation of foot and mouth disease was four or five days and no more, and before any animal could be exported from Great Britain it had to be certified healthy and free from contact with diseased stock for a period of three months:

In addition to that the animal was placed in .quarantine after examination for at least ten days. With such precautions it should be clear that the carriage of disease was out of the question, and since the system of quarantine had been adopted 3500 animals had been exported and not one case of foot and mouth disease had occurred.

The Minister of Agriculture (the Hon. W. L. Martin) said that he saw things largelyxfrom the viewpoint of the working farmer. Farmers had felt many times that they had been sacrificed on the altar of commerce. They had produced raw materials and had had to sell their products ■'•at a price that had no relation to services they had rendered. They should not be at the mercy of circumstances over which they had no control. Without putting another single farmer on the land in New Zealand, the Dominion could double .her production in ten years. The problem today was not one' of over-production, but underconsumption, and the great aim should be to improve the methods of distribution.

"We are in line with the words of the remit and will take the necessary steps and have an investigation made. :.If the position warrants it, I can say definitely on behalf of the Government that the embargo will be removed. At the same time we must be sure that we are doing the right thing."

(Proceeding.)