N.Z. MEAT AGREEMENT

Grey River Argus, 15 October 1936, Page 5

N.Z. MEAT AGREEMENT

MR. COATES' ALLEGATION Refuted by Minister WHY WAS IT DELAYED ? (Per Press Association;. WELLINGTON, October 14. Hon. Lee Martin, Minister of Marketing, to-day issued the following reply to the statement in reference to meat exports to Britain by Mr J. G. Coates: — “It is unfortunate that Mr Coates did not choose a more fitting time and ■a more fitting phrasing for his statement 011 the important subject of marketing.” said Mr Martin; “What practically amounts to suggestions of possible deliberate misrepresentation, and bad faith, on the part of Mr Nash, the Minister of Finance, would' have come with a better grace if they had been made before the Minister had left the Dominion, and while he was still on the spot to refute personally the foolish insinuations for which Mr Coates has made himself personally responsible. The spirit of peevish pettiness which pervades Mr Coates’s statement, and the unworthy suspicions he. endeavours to arouse, are particularly to be deplored, and do an injustice to himself, at least as much as to Mr Nash. “As :a matter of fact, his remarks, as reported, are very wide of the mark, and only indicate that he is conipletely out of touch with the present position in connection with meat agreements with Britain. The. opinion of Mr Coates that an agreement has 'already been reached, and merely awaits the signature of Mr Nash, is quite incorrect. It is perfectly true that a long-term agreement has been suggested by the British Government for our approval, but certain of the principles involved are not acceptable to New Zealand, and further consideration of these important proposals has been deferred by tlie British Government, pending the arrival of Mr Nash in Britain

“Just to show that the suggestion of a cut-and-dried agreement is contrary to fact, it may be pointed out that, fo r mutton and’ lamb .New Zealand’s most import'll nt meat export, no discussions of any kind have as yet taken place with regard to the programme of mutton and lamb landings after the end of the present agreement, which expires on December third of this year. Mr Coates should be well iaware of this, as he himself was concerned in the negotiation of this agreement. “At the end of September this year, the British Goveiriiment, suggested an early discussion on New Zealand' and Australian lamb and mutton quotas for 1937, and this, uatu'rally, will bo one of the first matters to engage the attention of Mr Nash. Mr Coates also indicates that, from a statement, made by M Walter Elliott, in the. House ot Commons, on duly 6th “it is clear that discussions this year have brought to "nality proposals advanced in IIC S°; ti. tions in London last year. WhilSv it xS true that the statement referred to does indicate, in broad outline, the British Government’s permanent . poposals for safeguarding the British live-stock industry, it is not correct- to say that proposals have reached fina.■tv. In Air Elliott’s statement, it was set out. that further proposals as to market regulation, which mainly affected exporting countries, ai'e under discussion with the Governments ot the countries concerned. .It is these important proposals as far as they atfect New Zealand, and including the establishment and functions of an Empire Aleat Council, which will form, the basis of discussions before any definite agreement is reached.