TRADE WITH BRITAIN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 21029, 13 November 1931, Page 12

TRADE WITH BRITAIN.

Sir, —In flie Herau? of November 7 there was a letter by Mr. H. B. McKerrow, in which the writer utters a. word of warning to New Zealand and says we should "seriously consider what New Zealand has to offer in return for the preferential tariff we are hoping to get." He thinks that "both the policy of Britain toward the Dominions, and the policy of the Dominions themselves in attempting to establish industries has been wrong, and, with respect to the latter, says: "The result is now being felt, in a townrbred race, w'V.o will not go on the land, but find no scope nor openings in the towns." I think Mr. McKerrow is right in warning us not to expect too much from any policy the new British Government may adopt, but in so far as his letter amounts to an advocacy of developing further our primary industries in the hope that we shall find a ready market for the products o: those industries in Britain, I think thatsuggestion needs careful consideration, too, for 'the reason that a similar_ policy is now being advocated for Britain herself. In the Her aid .of October 30 there were two extracts dealing with this matter; in one Mr. E. G. Prefyman wrote, " Now that- we are no longer enjoying special advantages, but are competing with equals for our place in the world. _ we can no longer afford to ignore agriculture and to rely on our exports to provide us with the food we could quite well grow for ourselves At a verv low estimate we could produce £100,000.000 worth of the food we are now importing." The other extract. was from Mr. W. Hill Forster. secretary, Associated Chambers of Agncmture,' who wrote: " According to 19-3 figures we produced—of foodstuffs £225.000,000 annually, and such amount can be doubled, employment thereby most favourably and considerably increased, and the standard of Ins heightened." In a recent issue of tne Political Quarterly, a writer, m urging upon Britain a return to agriculture, states that of the foodstuffs suitable tor production in Britain 44.9 per cent, were produced there, a decline of 7 per cent, since tho war. He said Britain produced 15 per cent, of her own grain, 44.3 per cent, of her own meat, 4b per cent, of her own dairy produce. Agriculture. is tho fourth largest industry m Britain, employing one million persons, and is the industry'which can most easily be developed there and give the quickest and most lasting results in savings and in employment. I could quote many other instances of similar propaganda in Britain, and, of course, assistance has been given to agriculture there by various subsidies and by the almost total derating of agricultural land. In view of this, it does seem that we ought seriously to consider what lines our future development should be directed into and whether we ought not to pay a little attention to not only secondary industries but to building and developing in New Zealand a better market for our own products, primary as well as secondary. Tom Bloopworth.