Will Britain Force Quota?

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 7210, 17 July 1933, Page 7

Will Britain Force Quota?

“ Voluntary ” Pressure Increases

Major Elliot’s Significant Hint

United Press Assn—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright,

Received Sunday, 9,50 pun.

LONDON, July 16

The Empire delegates reassemble next week in connection with the regulation of the Dominions’ foodstuffs. The British continue to urge voluntary quotas to replace the duties, citing the effects of Ottawa whereby meat prices have risen under the quotas, while butter has fallen under the duties.

Evidently the British consider that some Dominion Conference delegates are convinced that gluts have a chaotic effect on prices, but cannot impress the Dominion Governments and farmers whose remoteness geographically prevents appreciation of the facts.

The New Zealand cables were read with interest, especially because the farmers’ hostility to regulation contrasts with Mr. Coates’s pamphlet, but their attitude will probably prevent Mr. Forbes from committing the Government to regulation.

The British insist that the Dominions’ failure to co-operate will be equally disastrous to Home and Dominion farmers, probably necessitating substantial revisions of the Ottawa meat and dairy products agreements.

The movement to terminate the Economic Conference brought the regulation of dairy products within its ambit, but Mr. Bruce declines to participate in the discussions pending Monday’s Anglo-Dominion meeting.

Great significance for the Dominion’s export outlook when the Ottawa agreements terminate attaches to Major Elliot’s speech at the Economic Commission, declaring that Britain intends embarking on a comprehensive policy of reviving British agriculture, ultimately affecting the Dominions.

Anglo-N.Z. Trade ME FORBES MAKES A CORRECTION LONDON, July 14. The Et. Hon. G. W. Forbes, in a statement, says: “I cannot understand how those supplying information in Wellington for cabling to the English Press have so extensively misrepresented the speech of the Minister of Agriculture (Major Walter Elliot) in the House of Commons on Tuesday. Major Elliot did not mention tho Anglo-New Zealand trade position, nor lias any British Minister in any way raised the question. On the contrary, Britain has expressed every approval of New Zealand’s preferential treatment of British goods.”

Mr Masters Active For New Zealand MARKETING AND CONTROL LONDON, July 14. Long discussions by tho sub-commis-sion of tho Conferenco dealing with tho co-ordination of production and marketing arose on a Polish propusai to create an international dairy council to study the reduction of tho competition in butter, particularly on rationed markets, to ensure a better distribution, and to prevent a glut. Tho Hon. E. Masters said that New Zealand could not agree to . an international body, much less to bringing it into effect immediately. New Zealand desired time ,to consider this, and also the Italian proposal that the Institute of Agriculture at Rome should discuss tho problem. New Zealand favoured Major Elliot’s proposal that a sub-com-mitteo should consider nil tho proposals and report next week. This proposal was agreed to, and New Zealand was given a seat on tho sudcommittec.

Mr. Forbes added that tho present movement for the regulation of the dairy products of Britain arises solely from the dissatisfaction of British farmers at the low prices of dairy products owing to tho glutted markets clue to excessive importations from abroad.