Manawatu Evening Standard. TUESDAY, DEC. 8, 1936. MR HAMILTON'S TOUR.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 8, 8 December 1936, Page 6

Manawatu Evening Standard. TUESDAY, DEC. 8, 1936. MR HAMILTON'S TOUR.

Mr Adam Hamilton, the leader of the new National Party, completed a ten-days' tour of the North Island with an enthusiastic meeting in Wellington. At each place he visited he was promised loyal support. There can be no doubt that Mr Hamilton created a favourable impression, for after all he is a levelheaded man, a clear thinker, and precise in his speech. He conveys to his audience in simple, clear language just what he means. He takes a very sane view of the political situation and the immediate duties of the National Party. Just now it is not worth the while of Mr Hamilton to criticise the Labour Government, for the bulk of the legislation of the past session has yet to. function. What people have assumed as criticism has been really expressions of opinion as to the ultimate results of the legislation. To be fair the Government should have, at least, a year to put its recent legislation into lull operation, it Mill then be time enough to criticise. The avowed object of the Government is to establish an ideal Socialistic State by decrees, while some hold that Utopia can be attained only by degrees. It should be fully realised that the National Party is a convenient rallying point for all who do not agree with the party in power, and that we believe is a very considerable number in the community. The ideal form of .Parliamentary Government is two parties —Government and Opposition —for then it is possible to get good, sound Government. And it is always good to see an Opposition relatively strong in numbers, and of good debating strength. All the members of a party cannot be expected to hold similar views, but they can all agree on a broad basis and on fundamentals. Now that the people have seen Mr Hamilton in work they must be satisfied he will make an excellent Leader of the National Party, and next year the executives will need to devote a good deal of attention to organisation and propaganda. It will be hoped that the small insignificant parties which, by putting up candidates who have not the° remotest chance of success, but who split the votes, will sink their claims to distinction, and throw in their lot with the National Party. There are at least 19 members in Parliament on the Labour side who have been returned on a minority vote. This is not good for parliamentary government.

ARGENTINE AGREEMENT. Britain and the Argentine have signed a trade agreement bearing on the imports ut meat, particularly dulled beef, and we may assume that the agreement' is mutually satisfactory under the circumstances. Argentina consents to a duty of tliree farthings per pound- on chilled beef and veal, and two-thirds of a penny on frozen beef. Eurthermore, Argentina agrees to reduce the shipments of chilled beef by 2 per cent, on the 1935 figures until a maximum of 5 per cent, is reached in 1939. Willi respect to mutton and lamb Britain guarantees that Argentina's imports of mutton and lamb will not be reduced below 886,UU0cwt in 1937, and 797,400 cwt in 1938. Thus the South American Republic consents to a duty on beef and veal, plus a reduction in quantity, and a reduction in the volume of mutton and lamb. This may give some indication of the probable treatment that New Zealand will receive in the negotiations to be conducted by the Minister for Marketing. It can be regarded as assured there will be no duty on the imports of muttun and lamb from the Dominion, but it is just possible there may be a restriction placed upon imports as in the case of Argentina. We are still increasing our exports of chilled beef, but are not now so interested in frozen beef. It may be argued that mutton and lamb do not come into competition with beef, but that, of course, is a fallacy. All classes of meat compete with one another and fish also enters into competition. It must be remembered that people everywhere acquired the habit, during the depression, of buying the cheaper lines of foodstuffs, and it will take some time to break them of it. The policy of the British Government is to encourage the domestic production of beef, and it is endeavouring to provide the British producer both with a local market, and at the same time to secure for him a remunerative price by restricting imports of competing meats. The duty on the Argentine's chilled meat will be applied as a subsidy for increasing the British production. Should the price of beef in Britain steadily advance—as is most likely—more and more people will be forced to turn to mutton, and this would have a stabilising' effect on beef prices. Now that the case of Argentina has been disposed of, and a working basis for such agreements established, the authorities will be ready to deal with New Zealand. We ought soon to know our position in this matter.