The Grey River Argus WEDNESDAY, May 21, 1941 PRIME MINISTER’S MISSION.

Grey River Argus, 21 May 1941, Page 4

The Grey River Argus WEDNESDAY, May 21, 1941 PRIME MINISTER’S MISSION.

The visit of the Prime Minister presently to Britain may lie ex-1 peeted, on his return to reflect itself not only in military adaptation, but also in extensive economic readjustments. Incidentally, Mr. Fraser has made our soldiers in the Middle East aware in the most convincing manner of the interest and admiration entertained for them in the Dominion, and especially in their most creditable and indeed gallant exploit in covering the withdrawal of the Forces of the Empire from Greece. It may also be confidently anticipated that they will now give equally as good an account of themselves in Crete, where, under General Frcyhcrg, they have just / been called upon 1o face an enemy attack' with parachute troops. It is already manifest that the war is deslined to cause revolutionary changes in the economy and commerce of Ihe British Commonwealth, the present. very critical shipping shortage, for instance, having illustrated to some extent the possibilities of a situation wherein Britain would have largely curtailed her imports of Dominion produce. At the moment there are political critics in New Zealand complaining of conditions, whereas they never compare those here with conditions in Australia. There now is a prohibition upon the killing for export not merely of a great deal of mutton, but also of lamb into the bargain. Dislocation in national economy is probably greater in Australia than in New Zealand, because here the Government had been quicker to adopt an enlightened marketing policy, and to- institute a guarantee for primary producers. This example is now being followed in a pell melt fashion across the Tasman, but it remains yet to be seen whether it will avert greater dislocation than that indicated, for instance in the fruit in’dustry. Our fruit growers have fared very much better than those of Australia. To deal with the meat situation, the Australian Prime Minister, during his visit, was constrained to enlist financial accommodation on the pari of the British Government, and it is on that basis that producers are now promised a price for their output- which, while it is claimed that loss will be averted, 'will be loss than that prevailing under the arrangement, with Britain which has been upset by the shipping stringency. One alternative now being held out 1o Australian primary producers generally is that of processing their commodities so as

either to preserve them, or render them exportable in a. changed form. It is a case of necessity mothering invention, and our producing and manufacturing interests, instead of complaining, ought to attempt a similar adaptation. It would be a more constructive policy than

that of attacking the workers’ hours and conditions. Australian butter has, like ours, 1o give away to cheese in the export trade, but it is intended to utilise milk in a variety of ways, turning it .extensively into powder, and tinning cream, as well as butter, so that cool storage will be unnecessary in transit. *Even from China’s book a leaf is being taken, machines being imported from that country for the drying of eggs. Various foods are to be dehydrated, whilst wheat is to be transformed into fodder for stock to the extent that storage might prove otherwise too lengthy. The importance of these adaptations is greater that, their immediate effect might suggest. Il is morally certain that not a few of the processes about to be adopted on an extensive scale will become permanent enterprises. It is even hoped to obtain entry to the United States market, in view of the fact that demands for foodstuffs will there increase in proportion to the diversion of attention from peacetime Io war production. .It is becoming increasingly clear that our Government has simply been but a few years ahead of others in its policy of collective marketing and co-operative, primary production, and, to all appearances, unless it now should give a further lead, private enterprise will not in New Zealand rise to lhe occasion and adapt industry to the needs of a new and probably a permanently altered outlook. One thing nobody can ignore is the growing need of a more absorptive internal market, and in addition to lhe distribution of maximum purchasing power among the existing population, another post war requisite will be an enlargement in population. There is meantime a shortage of imported and some classes of home manufactured goods, but the internal market is the main one meantime for a great deal of our primary produce. At anyrate, radical and lasting economic transformations are the inevitable concomitant of the war, and the sooner those responsible for our staple industries recognise and prepare for these, the better the Dominion will fare. There needs must be a greater degree of specialisation, and a greater variety of production. A temporary postwar demand for certain fundamental commodities may obscure this fact, but it is bound to emerge again more insistently than ever before. The Prime Minister is bound to have an eye to this matter as well as more immediate war obligations during his mission to Britain.