FEAR OF REPRISAL

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 70, 24 March 1938, Page 22

FEAR OF REPRISAL

FARMERS' RESOLUTION

' (By Telegraph—Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, March 23. General alarm at the possibility of a serious English boycott of New .Zealand butter and lamb in retaliation for the recent increase in the tariff on English footwear was little allayed by the expressed conviction of two members that the boycott threat was only a bluff when the question of the Cusv toms adjustment was brought before a meeting of the North Canterbury ■. , district executive of the New Zealand Farmers' Union by a'Christchiirch firm of boot importers. Members showed concern at a cabled • report that boot operatives- at Rossendale Valley, Engi land, were contemplating a boycott | and at the likelihood that it would V.spread, and d^dded to urge the Dominion execiUTve to take the matter in hand. ■ That the imposition of the new Customs duty of 3s a pair on English footwear meant an embargo on approximately three-quarters of the pre-. >sent ''footwear imports from Great' Britain was mentioned in a letter'received frbm Mr. S. S. Mander, secretary of Thomas Perry and Son, Ltd., boot and shoe indentors and ware-i housemen, Christchurch. After quoting a cable message which appeared in the Press of March 8, which stated the intention of 8000 operatives in Rossendale Valley "to place an em- ' bargo on New Zealand produce unless the duty was raised, Mr. Mander added that his firm understood that simi--1 . lar action was being taken in Leices--Iter, Le^ds, Norwich, Northampton, and <' > London. ■ ':.'. '"Well,, gentlemen, that's the position;" said the chairman, Mr. I. L. M. ■ Coop,■when the letter had been read.• *'If we go and block English goods ■we're going to be in 1 trouble." Membersrepalled a cablegram sent by the Dominion president of the union, Mr.' W. W. Mulholland, to boot manufacturers in England explaining that the'tariff increases were opposed "by Ne"w Zealand farmers and that 'they and not the manufacturers would be harmed by retaliation, and members expressed approval of his action. ALMOST AN' EMBARGO. "When I read of the action the boot -- operatives had taken I was very sore," said Mr. R. G. Bishop, who,added that if the matter had not arisen in the normal course of the meeting he would have introduced it himself. The Farmers' Union was, as was well known, in favour of free trade. Ministers' of the Crown, including the Hon. W. Nash, Minister of Customs, had impressed on the people the importance of buying British goods and ■fostering Empire trade so that New Zealand might secure fair treatment for her produce on the' Home markets- "But," he said, "this almost impossible duty practically prohibits us from trading with Home in footwear." It was time for the union to take a firm \stand. "As had been said for years, it would pay the Government to pension , off boot operatives in New Zealand and remove the tariff on footwear," continued Mr. Bishop. "If we do not take a stand our primary industries wil]L-be in jeopardy. This country is based :on its primary: industry. Secondary industry won't get us anywhere." "It's very, very serious, because these people in England will boycott our produce and buy from. Australia and the Argentine, where farming costs arc "cheaper," remarked Mr. Coop. Mr. J. D. Ha^l:. Thatls sheer bluff. They can't do Without our meat. ' . Mr. G. C. Warren: That's humorous. .', You're writing for' "Punch." ■, . Tlie practicability of ,a boycott was ' questioned by Mr.-J. W, D..Hall. "All our butter and; meat isn't, eaten by manufacturers," -he, said. "I don't think any boycott along these lines will ever be put -into effect. As Mr. Mulhollari'd pointed out, they would be harming New Zealand farmers, not our' manufacturers." "~'' The English farmer was doing all he could now to have an embargo placed on New Zealand produce, said Mr. Bishop, and if he joined forces with the boot operatives it might be dangerous. He moved: ."That this executive views with alarm the duty, amounting almost to an embargo, on English footwear, and asks the Dominion executive to; take. action in • the matter." • Saying that any other action should be taken through the Dominion executive, Mr. S.G. Farquhar seconded the motion,' which was carried ipanimously.. ■ \ ■ .. ■ ■