THE QUOTAS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXIX, Issue 4652, 2 February 1935, Page 4

THE QUOTAS.

While the Australian Government is making a strong protest against the quotas now under consideration by the British Government, the New Zealand authorities are apparently co'ntent to allow the British Minister of Agriculture to work out his own policy without making any complaint. Indeed, the Minister of Finance has appealed to the farmers of this country to accept the quota on dairy produce without question. Happily for the good of the Dominion, the majority of farmers cannot agree to this policy, and ask that every effort be made to fight the quotas tooth and nail. It is fully realised that it is quite impossible for the people of this Dominion to dictate to Great Britain, but there are certain facts that can well be stressed when dealing with our trade relations with that country. When the Great War was fought and won it was stated and hoped that the Commonwealth of. Empire would be bound still stronger by a partnership which should never be broken. In addition, this country incurred a debt of 80 millions on account of the war, and that debt has still to be paid. During the period of conflict, the New Zealand Government fixed a price which Was considreasonable for all their exports of raw materials and foodstuffs to Great Britain, while foreign countries were obtaining from 100 to 50 per cent, more for the same exports. During the war by far the greater proportion of Danish butter went to Germany, and Great Britain would have been hard pressed for these commodities were it not for the Dominions. There may be no sentiment in business, but it has to be borne in mind that the war debts of ( the Dominions were incurred as much in the interests of Great Britain as the Dominions themselves. With restrictions on their exports it is goi'ng to be most difficult to repay the interest and principle on these loans, and all other loans. It has been pointed out that there are hundreds of millions of British capital invested in the Argentine, and a substantial amount of British capital in the Danish dairy industry, but these investments cannot be placed on the same footing as the war debts. If the Dominions were released from the war debts it would make a tremendous difference to the ratepayers of each. The Dominions do not ask for the cancellation of these debts, but so long as they exist, they are surely entitled to a greater preference in their trade l’elations with the Mother Country.