TRADE RIVALRY

Grey River Argus, 29 May 1925, Page 7

TRADE RIVALRY

DOAI.INION POOLS. RESENTED IN BMTAJN. LONDON. May 2<>. Tn addition to the British producers’ opposition to the proposed million subvention to assist, in the marketing of Dominion products, there is growing comment in business circles that Australian and New Zealand producers are increasingly resorting to the crentrnn of boards to control prices ami deliveries of goods. This is believed also to be one of the grounds for criticism of the preferential subvention. It ’- s hinted that this view has arisen at the, discussions by the Imperial Economic ’Committee, where it is suggested that the Overseas producers cannot have it both ways. Loading merchants handling Australian and New Zealand imports informed the Australian Press Association that the producers would be better off if they devoted their energies to per. fecting the. methods of growing, grading and packing, and leave the sellmg to firms who bad been doing it fm* many years, and have a la"ge p< r’ f>ction among buyers. One large buyer of dairy prmhv" 1

;::»itiled out that there must always be a keen struggle between the buyer seller. The former naturally wants to buv the goods as cheap as possible, and the seller wants to make the utmost. The result of this competition must depend mainly on supply ami demand. A not h. er merchant regards the desire for control by the producers as a heritage from the war.time food control, whereto British consumers submitted, for it had the effect of stabilising prices, but it is impossible to stabilise prices of perishable products, which are arriving at irregular intervals in variable quantities, not only from Dc■ ' colonies, but many much nearer countries. m