BRITISH M.P.S’ QUOTA ALARMS

Evening Star, Issue 21935, 23 January 1935, Page 7

BRITISH M.P.S’ QUOTA ALARMS

ANXIETY ABOUT FOREIGN AGREEMENTS LINER LAUNCH GIVES “ BOOST ” TO NEW ZEALAND ANOTHER MARKETING CAMPAIGN SUCCESS LONDON', December Li, 1934. Tbe warning given to Britain by Dr Earle Rage, the Australian acting Prime Minister, of the inevitable consequences of its restriction of meat and other food imports from the dominions, has caused deep misgiving among a large section of the National Government’s supporters. following, as it does, a series of similar warnings from other spokesmen for Australia and New Zealand, and from representatives of the British shipping industries. The ‘ Financial News ’ states, in fact, that an important parliamentary committee dealing with Imperial affairs has now turned definitely against Mr Walter Elliot’s quota schemes for Empire meat and dairv produce, and that Mr Elliot, the Minister of Agriculture, would find the utmost difficulty in securing adequate Government support for his proposals if he should again urge their acceptance. What justification there is for this somewhat sweeping statement remains to he seen. Yet among those who are in close touch with the various marketing; . boards it is bold that official opinion on the subject of dominion quotas is being considerably modified. There is accumulating evidence that former advocates of “ quotas all round ” are being badly shaken by the refusal of prominent members of' Parliament to accept this policy as a solution of the difficulties of the British farmer, particularly while agreements with foreign countries relating to food imports remain in force. NO DEVELOPMENT OF HOME BUTTER MAKING. Nor are the former advocates quite so sure as they were about the economic reactions of dominion quotas. For example, Mr Elliot himself, when recently asked point-blank whether he proposed to increase the present negligible total of butter factories in the United _ Kingdom, gave a straight “ No ” in reply—plain proof that whatever may bo the expectation from butter quotas and subsidies, it is not tlie development of a Home industry. In fact, the last thing in the world that Mr Elliot, the officials of the milk marketing scheme, and’ the National Farmers’ Union, wish to do at the moment is to give the British dairy farmer an opportunity of falling down on organised butter making, and so have to explain to the world why, with all the advantages of reasonably cheap land, highly efficient transport, proximity to market, and valuable goodwill, home butler maki'ng does not pay. On the other hand, there lias been a substantial increase at homo in the manufacture of cheese, condensed milk, and other dairy products, the manufacture of which is fur more suited to the conditions of British dairying than is the manufacture of butter.

Numerous supporters of the Government who are at present oinbarasscd bv tho parallel existence of a Board of Trade policy which seeks to encourage foreign trade at the expense of our Homo and dominion farmers, and an agricultural policv which menaces Empire trade relations, might welcome with onen arms a compromise which retained for the home farmer a greater share of certain dairy manufactures qnd at the same time assured to tho dominions an increasing share (at tho expense of the foreigner) in the market hero for other dairy manufactures. SHIPPING AND EMPIRE TRADE. It is interesting to find that the Blue Star Line, following the recent examples of other shipping companies, has shown its appreciation of tho broadgauge noliev of the New Zealand dairying authorities in London, by seizing every opportunity of demonstrating the reciprocal aspects of Empire trade. Tho directors of the lino readily fell in with the suggestion that the launch of tho new 11,000-tons cargo liner New Zealand Star—ninth of tho ten ships which have been built by or ordered from British shipyards for the United Kingdom-New Zealand trade—should be made an occasion for drawing attention to the importance to British shipbuilding, British shipping, and British .manufactures of New Zealand’s export produce. This spirit of co-operation prompted the despatch of an invitation to Lord Bledisloo to launch tho ship by electrical impulse from Government House, Wellington, and the subsequent cancelling of the programme already arranged. The facts concerning the launch and tho helpful tone both of the message of the Governor-General and of the speech made by Sir Edmund Vestey, head of the Blue Star Line, arc doubtless already familiar to New Zealanders. What is probably nob realised is that the story of this launch was broadcast three times to listeners in the United Kingdom and other parts of the Empire, that it was told in pictures on tho screen to millions of cinemagoers, and that it occupied prominent space in practically every newspaper of note in the United Kingdom. Undoubtedly tho long-range acumen of the New Zealand dairy producers’ representatives in tho United Kingdom is gradually creating a better ami deeper understanding of the trade ties between the Mother Country and her most far-flung dominion. SHIPS AND CARGOES. A few days alter the launch of the New Zealand Star Mr Walter lluncinmn, President of the Board of Trade and arch-apostle of foreign treaties, again expounded his “ scrap and build ” plan for British shipping. The shipping companies engaged in the Empire trade routes appear, without waiting for Ministerial exhortation, to have given Mr Riincimnn’s policy a fair trial, and in a few months’ time the most wonderful food-carrying fleet the world has ever seen will be operating between the United Kingdom and Australasian ports. ]f those who would impose quantitative restriction have their way—a possibility which admittedly grows fainter week by week—Mr Bnnciman’s slogan may have to bo changed to “ Build and scrap.” Recent declarations by Lord Essendnn and Sir Edmund Vestey show that shipping companies arc getting distinctly uneasy under the collar about implications of Mr Elliot’s policies. NEW ZEALAND’S SUCCESS IN LANCASHIRE. Tho New Zealand Dairy Produce Board is now completing its sales campaigns in Manchester and Salford, and has just opened a special exhibition of dominion butter and cheese in Rochdale, There were 170 entries for its competitions for grocers’ window displays of Now Zealand dairy produce in Manchester and 120 in Salford—gratifying

totals in both cases. Newspapers in Manchester have paid particular attention to tlio campaign, stressing tlio tact that, in return for the Jroo entry oi her dairy and other produce into the United Kingdom, New Zealand grants free entry to many kinds of British manufactures, including Lancashire textiles. In a leading article entitled 1 A Good Customer ’ the ‘ Manchester Daily Dispatch ’ strongly urged Lancashire housewives to respond to New Zealand s appeal for trade reciprocity.