POST-WAR SCHEMES

Greymouth Evening Star, 3 April 1943, Page 5

POST-WAR SCHEMES

CONTROL OF AGRICULTURE

COMMITTEE’S PROPOSALS

RUGBY, April 2. The continuance of control of agriculture after the war, is the outstanding suggestion in the first interim report of the Agricultural Committee, appointed by the Conservative Central Committee on postwar problems. The Committee recommends that control should be by new county committees, formed on the basis of selection. Control is corollary to price stability, which they admit to be the first essential to the future of farming. The Committee envisages two separate periods. First, when acute world scarcity prevails after the war when a scheme will be needed for deflecting surpluses to the countries where shortages are most acute, and, second, when the scarcity has passed away, and the food requirements of this country will be estimated and parcelled out among the various possible suppliers.. In deciding these quotas, the British agriculturalist will have first claim on the home market, and the Committee suggests his share be fixed well over half the total of British requirements. The rest should be shared between the Dominions and the other great exporting countries which have special claims. This would appear to involve acceptance, in the case of certain commodities of the principle of bulk purchase by governments, rather than by individual private , traders.

UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE.

RUGBY, April 22. Mr Cordell Hull announced according to a Washington message, that Russia, Britain, China and New Zealand were among the first nations to accept invitations to the United Nations’ post-war conference on food problems.

MR. ROOSEVELT’S ACTION

WASHINGTON, April 2. Mr. Roosevelt has rejected the bill which increased farm prices by excluding Government benefit payments in calculating parity prices. Mr. Roosevelt said he was compelled to take this action in the deep conviction the measure was inflationary and breaks down the barriers erected which must be maintained to avoid inflation disasters. Mr. Roosevelt urged Congress to stand by its declared policy to stabilise all prices and wages. He contended that the measure would give the farmers an unwarranted bonus at the consumers .expense, and he pointed out that the farmers are substantially better oil than they were in the last war, but will not remain so, if an inflationary 'tornado is set loose. The bill passed both cnambers by large majorities, despite the Administration warning that it would increase the nation’s annual food bill by fifteen hundred million dollars.

POST-WAR CO-OPERATION

U.S.A. ATTITUDE

NEW YORK. April 2. “During his recent visit Mr Eden learned that the United States will never agree to send delegates to die European Council proposed by Mr Churchill,” says “Pertinax the French journalist, now m the United States. '“Only a world system is likely to enlist American co-opera-tion. This means that some form o I League of Nations is in prospect, with compulsory military solidarity against aggressors. The League will have a new label “International Trusteeship which is at present favoured. A meeting of Russian and American leaders is greatly desired, but Stalin cannot be expected to leave Russia in wartime. Consequently, a first rank American personality will probably visit Moscow.

ANGLO - CANADIAN AG REEMENT

OTTAWA, April 2

The Prime Minister (Mr. Mackenzie King) disclosed that he and his Cabinet colleagues had reached complete agreement with the British Foreign’Secretary (Mr. Eden) in discussions concerning present world conditions and methods of bringing the war to an early end. He pointed out that Mr. Eden and Mr. Roosevelt had previously reached full accord on similar subjects. _