EXPORT POLICY

Grey River Argus, 19 June 1936, Page 7

EXPORT POLICY

BETTER DAIRY PRICES THAN FOR YEARS Fruit Growers Want Guarantee MINISTER EXPLIANS OBJECTS (Per Press Association.) HASTINGS, June 17. A statement that the Government had no intention of dealing with anything but dairy produce during the present season, in connection with its export marketing principles, was made to the National Dairy Conference, in Hastings, this afternoon, by the Minister of Finance (Mr. Nash).

“One great object we set out to achieve was the removal for all time of the fear of price falls and e.-s--taeies of price rises,” he said. “Of course, the farmer does not mind eestacies, put there are often very unfortunate sequels, and it is to avoid these, the Government policy -will strive to accomplish.” He had been reminded, he added, of Dickens’s “Great Expectations.” He dd not know whether these expectations would be realised, nor could he tell what the price this year would bo. but it would be more than the prices obtained last year, or the year before, or the year before that. Dealing with the provisions of the A-ct. Mr. Nash said the. Marketing Department would ultimately take control of the marketing of all primary produce. That did not mean that meat and wool would be taken in now. or at any time in the immediate future, but when the imperative need for such control had been proved, the same procedure as had been applied tn dairy produce could be 'r. plied to the other products. People at the head of th,, fruitgrowing industry, sa : d Mr. Nash, had alread v expressed their anxiety that the same procedure should be made to apply to the expo.rt of fruit. lie had answered he would discuss the request next year, as -t was not the Government’s intent on to include any nrofliwe other than butter and cheese under the Act th-s year. The existing Meat and Fi'uit Boards would be used as maehin'T'- for putting into opernt'on the marketing system us it would apply to the fruit and meat industries.

FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS. The great question was where was the Govornment going to get the money, Mr. Nash continued. Beloie passing the Act, he had discussed the financial aspects with Air. Leslie l.efeiuix. Director of the Reserve Bank, and had arranged for whatever money might be necessary to enable the dairy export policy of the ,Government to In' put into ellect. Ihi io wold,! be in th,, Reserve Bink an account into which all money from guaranteed prices would be paid, and into which the proceeds from the sale, of produce overseas would be paid. That was all that could l,e done at this end. and if it were to be successful, must be. supplemented at the other end, and not solely by Tooley Street. So far as the Tooley Street merchants were concerned, tliev would obtain flu most profitable' results bv eo-operaf-ii,.,- with Ihe New Zealand Governui/nt, and'fhe Goveriwi''nl had not hud a word they were unwllmg to do so. They would have to carry out their marketing in accordance with the Government's intentions. Then they would he paid as well as 11 was humanly i-.ossible to pay them loi their services.

AGREEMENT WITH BRITIAN. The dairy export, policy, continue’.! the. speaker, could not be pur into effect unless the Government could establish reciprocal hading agreements with the British Government. Under the new methods of marketing. it would be possible for him to say to the British Govcrnm'enL “Wo can produce 150,000 tons of butter. We have taken every stop to ensure its uniform and maximum quality, we can lot vou have it at a minimum price according to what the farmer ought to be paid for the work of producing it, and we agree to take from you goods to the value of what we receive for our butter. Yo’u take this £15,000000 worth of butter from’ us, and we will in turn, after provision for interest and for the redemption of debt we owe you, use the money in Britain for buying what w ( . want.” Those prim-ipli'S, said Mr Nash, would be in being among oil countries 'within the next ten years. “That may moan,’’ he added, “that our produce will be taken nowhere else, but I won’t worry. It may mean we will have to take all our cotton goods from Brtiain, and not. say, from Japan.’’ If there worn products that ni'igh he brought info being in New Zealand, and that were not wanted by Britain, then the Government would makn bilateral agreements with companies that would take those products. Going on to speak of his conception of (he world as one economic uniß Mr. Nash said Um Tost of the world could not keep Germany or Japan or India on a lowor level than itself. “If wo have resources that are not. available to other countries.” he said, “then we must make bilateral agrcc*nients with those countries.” DISPOSAL OF PROFITS. He had peon asked whether if the prices realised were greater than the guaranteed prices, the excels would belong to the farmer or to the Government. As Mr. Savage had said the Government did not want to make U profit out Of any industry, jf there wore excess, it would bo credited to the Dairy Industry Account, ami used for the benefit of the indust’-y. Why not. a- bonus? he had been asked. There would be no bonus, lie could say. howcwcr, that the excess, if anv would not be used without consultation with representatives of the industry. Under Um pobey of Iho Government, no section of the community would benefit at the expense of another section. The, Government was frying to ensure that every man on the land, every man on th" waterfront, and every clerk in th G office

was paid a. legitimate share ol ( he wealth he brought into the .-oati-i.'.

FARM LABOUR

In answer to a question wh eh deal' with the possibilitv that mon ottered Hi shillings a day on public works, will not be willing to work on farms, and consequently farm labour nwiy be difficult to engage. Mr. Nasir said the, Government was acting in the matter. It was ensur'ng that farm labour would be ava lablo, and the rates of pay had already been determined. Tt menus that if work were not available on public works, and farm labour were available', men refusing to accept farm work, would not be paid sustenance.