The Grey River Argus FRIIDAY, May 8, 1936. MR. FORBES’S LAST SHOT.

Grey River Argus, 8 May 1936, Page 4

The Grey River Argus FRIIDAY, May 8, 1936. MR. FORBES’S LAST SHOT.

In a nutshell, Mr. Forbes last night in Parliament put the Opposition case against the guaranteed price for dairy produce, lie was as prophetical and illogical as Mr. Polson. Exchange manipulation to subsidise exports was right, but any definite figure was not. The guarantee, he said, would cause British farmers to press for a tariff against us; and Mr. Nash, when he goes Home soon, could not expect a separate reciprocal trade agreement with Britain, as the Ottawa- one blocked differential treatment for any dominion. How, then, could we be subjected to a separate adverse tariff because of the guarantee? If Mr. Forbes meant an adverse N.Z. quota, would not that also be debarred by Ottawa? [f Britain now receives too much dairy produce, where goes the surplus? M'r. JPorbcs euiididly should have admitted he knows Britain’s main idea. it is the cheapest possible food imports. That is why she mixes so much Russian with dominion butter. She is going to have less Danish, thanks to Germany. We give Britain about her greatest oversea preference, says Mr. Forbes, who reckons she yet would forget that because a Labour Government assures our farmers against ruinous production loss! The Government "was giving farmers no share in marketing ! It is doing it for them at a payable price. The Board hitherto did the job, but the price was _well, ask the exporters! The exploiters alone made the profit. Alas, those Opposition tears over this "enormous experiment!’’ The Patterson scheme in Australia gives a solid subsidy, and Mr. Forbes laments Australians so rapidly overtaking our dairy exports and prices. He enlarged on the selling system, built, up with boards, but forgot to quote the farmers’ mortgages. Does the average farmer have a say, anyway, in the sales in Britain? Ask him! Now; he will know beforehand what is coming to him. Mr. Forbes tries the double-header. If the guarantee is greater than the Home price, the poor taxpayer suffers, but if it is l css ; the poor farmer suffers. No doubt, if there were equality, Mr. Forbes would say: Why any guarantee I But the question for him and his followers is this: What guarantee ever did they offer the exporter? Even the mortgagee felt the lack of any! He feels better now not to mention the moitgagor. This scheme is an adaptable one in a dozen wajs. Mr. Polson ignores the fact, and so docs Mr. Forbes. It will apply not only to the British, but other markets. If Britain, inevitably is to cut down dominion imports to give dearer butter to her people on behalf of her farm-

ers, what is the Nationalist idea of meeting that eventuality? A Board! Britain draws a dozen millions yearly from us in interest. That she cannot forget. What does she draw from Den- & mark, Russia, or Japan, which is having now’ a shot at butter exporting? The Old Country, Mr. > Forbes considers, is our only pos- ‘ sible customer. If Britain saw ] us, like herself, arranging a re- j eiprocal tariff or quota with some other country, w’ould she refuse . a bargain to avert that country s competition here against her? In two years, U.S.A, has made thirty' trade treaties, and our turn may soon come. In banking first on Britain, the Government is not so dictatorial as Australia or Canada. It is ready to accommodate our exports to British exigencies, agricultural as well as industrial. Mr. borbes onlv excuse for his refusal ever to face the British proposals for this is seemingly a fear of our farmers. The fact is that if we have a definite agreement with Britain, we can then have the same wuth any other customer. In any case we. must find others sooner or later, and the sooner the better. Above all we must make our own home market as good as it can be made. 110- ■ ducing for export at a loss, or „ without any certainty of averting ’ loss, is going to make our own market even worse than it was up till November last. Mr. Forbes says the farmers had no vote on the guaranteed prices. Well they had a vote on his policy and that is why he is crying f for another on the Labour policy. One. is enough, surely! The Labour Party told the country its policy was guaranteed prices, and the countrv replied, “Full Speed v Ahead!” Air. Forbes cannot c deny it.