QUOTA CONTROVERSY

Northern Advocate, 18 July 1933, Page 4

QUOTA CONTROVERSY

POSITION MISUNDERSTOOD BRITAIN’S ATTITUDE. MR FORBES EXPLAINS. <Per Press Association.—Copyright.) WELLINGTON, This Day. The Acting-Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates, today received a cablegram from the Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes, in which the latter says that the statement in the House of Commons by Major W. E, Elliot, Minister of Agriculture, apparently has been misinterpreted. Dir Forbes states: “He definitely stated to me that the trade position has no bearing whatever on the quota proposal, and it is entirely a matter of interest to the United Kingdom farmers, who are. strongly pressing for the restriction of importations of butter and cheese from abroad, which is flooding the market and bearing down prices, “The treatment byJSTew Zealand of the British manufactures, so far as tariff is concerned, is considered to be fully satisfactory by British authorities, and has at no time been raised in connection with the discussions that have taken place, ’ ’

INFLATED EXCHANGE. CRUX OF RESENTMENT. IMPORTERS’ VIEWPOINT. (Per Press Association.—Copyright.) WELLINGTON, Monday. Mr. Edwin Salmond, president of the New Zealand Importers’ Federation, in a statement to-day resumes the exchange rate controversy, saying; “The Farmers’ Union is apparently forcing itself to believe that our tariff is accountable for Britain’s threatened action to ration our exports. There is absolutely no evidence of this. It is quite apparent JTom the London cabled that it is the English farming community which is putting pressure on the British Government, It is absurd to argue that the British farmers are concerned over onr tariff, which, after all, does not concern them, and is entirely a matter for the British manufacturer, ,

“On the other hand,, English farmers bitterly resent New Zealand’s action in inflating the exchange, which enables our dairy farmers to dump our' butter and cheese on the United Kingdom market under a protection of 25 per cent.” v

j Mr. Salmond proceeds to deal with j the* Farmers’ Union statement/ which he says endeavours to prove that the 2o per cent, is not an artificial rate. “If the farmers are honest in the belief that 2~> per cent, is now the natural rate we challenge*them,said- Mr. Salmond, “to request the Government to release control, when, according to their own theory, exchange will automatically remain at the present figure. If they are wrong, the rate will readjust itself to a proper level that will no longer unfairly penalise the community, and the fallacy of the farmers’ propaganda will be . fully revealed.”