The Grey River Argus FRIDAY, May 20, 1938. EXPORT CONTROL.

Grey River Argus, 20 May 1938, Page 6

The Grey River Argus FRIDAY, May 20, 1938. EXPORT CONTROL.

Co-operation between this country and Australia in agricultural matters for the future is indicated by recent conferences for which Dominion representatives,, incluuing the Minister of Agriculture, have visited New South Wales.

One reason has evidently been the desire of farmers in the Old Country to obtain both ait increased and a stabilised market for their output. Their rcpresenta*ir es, at the recent Empire Primaly , Producers’ Conference in Sydney, declared that Dominion exporters must regulate—or in other words restrict- —supplies for the British market so as to prevent a glut. It is, of course, well known that Home farmers, restricted in area., cannot compete with the mass production methods of Dominion farmers. British industrialists and bankers, moreover, are no friends of British agriculture, preferring cheap supplies and also imports as a means to repay loans. But defence alone must inevitably dictate for Britain greater measure of primary production, while industrial competition tends io limit her export itrade, and so to oblige her to devise some other forms of employ 1 ment. Mr. Goodfellow, the Waikato dairy export entrepreneur, has condemned the project of the Empire Primary Producers’ Conference to set up Commodity Councils designed to prevent export gluts. He fears that they might replace the Government as a marketing influence. No doubt his reason would be that the British primary producers desire such councils to shoulder the onus of restricting export, thereby paving the way to a permanent instead of a temporary market restriction in Britain upon imports of Dominion produce. Mr. Goodfellow probably is correct insofar as British farmers are concerned' but as the Councils are to oper ate at the other end, they would be unlikely to forego Government influence in gaining sales for their produce. In the meantime, Mr. Mulholland and his fellow delegate have their work cut out to convince dairy farmers that any move for restriction ci> exports is advisable. If they themselves reckon there is to be no restriction, they ought to say explicitly what the commodity councils are to do. As in Auckland, factory interests are already pointing to an accumulation of dairy produce for export, and, at the same time, while admitting stability has been afforded by the price guarantee, are expressing a hope that the next guarantee will give them more for butter fat than they already obtain. In Britain the trading outlapk is not entirely rosy. The negotiations with America are not going too well, and if they fail, it will at least remove the prospect of competition by United States farmers on the British market. From this week., however, there will be some increase in competition from Ireland, the new treaty having re moved the high British tariff on imports from that country. Aus tralia has found her treaty with Canada disappointing, as her share of the reciprocal trade is diminishing, whilst Canada’s is growing. The Australian trade delegation now in Britain has stolen no march up to the present on other Dominions, and has invited Canada to enter the negotia tions in the hope of getting somewhere. It is stated that New Zealand meat exports to Britain of late have been relatively heavier than those of Austral in, and the latter country expects no restriction in that direction. New Zealand exporters have undoubt edly good reason to thank ■ the present Government for its work on their behalf, and it will be no surprise if they prefer its agency to that of commodity councils in handling exports. But there is one thing that dairy and meat producers must do for themselves, and that is to maintain a quality which is highly competitive. No Government can do this. Australia. has improved its beef and’ mutton by importing the finest

stud stock, and Dominion pastoralists aware of the results say J that the present embargo on rm- ( ports of stud animals from Britain, so as to prevent entry of : foot and mouth disease, ought to be reviewed. Australian sheep , breeders, also, arc arguing that stud sheep imported from New Zealand tend to be below the proper standard. On top ot this comes the claim of the Australian Senior Dairy Branch Officer that “Kangaroo” butter is now tliQ best manufactured article arriving on the British market. Because of our climate. New Zea- ' landers hitherto have held Aus tralian competition too clreaply . 'Some of the dairy interests ready i Ito demand, on top of the guaran- ■ tee, a “compensated” price, are . among those whose produce is apt to be superseded by that ot Australia. What then, do they : regard as the ground for com pensation? Butter manufaetur ing appears not to be keeping pace in New Zealand with that in Australia, despite the fact that natural conditions are in New ■. Zealand’s favour. Recently there

were faults in New Zealand cheese, and it seems that the Government’s next job will be to promote an improvement in the soundness and uniformity of the butter exported.