LONDON PRESS VIEWS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21396, 20 October 1934, Page 14

LONDON PRESS VIEWS

THE DUMPING QUESTION

' CLAIM TO PREFERENCE LIMITATION OF IMPORTS (Received October 19. 6.35 p.mi. LONDON. Oct. 19 The reference to Australian dumping in the report of the New ZeAland Commission on dairying has attracted considerable attention in London. The Times expresses the opinion that no exception can be taken to the commission's demand for recognition of the connection between the payment of debt charges and the export of New Zealand produce. If New Zealand is to pay her debts she must have a corresponding favourable balance in visible trade with her creditor. There will be less general agreement with thy other main contention of the commission, says the Times. This contention is that New Zealand has an equitable claim for special preference, not only over foreign countries, but over other Dominions, both on account of her low tariff on imports from Britain, and because she does not dump produce on the British market with the help of subsidies. Hitherto no claim of this kind has been advanced by any Dominion owing to the general feeling that it would be invidious for the British Government to discriminate between the different parts of the oversea Empire.

The Morning Post, referring to the dumping passage in the report, says the statement hardly does justice to the enormous increase of New Zealand supplies to the British market in recent years. Her imports of butter in the first nine months of this year, for the first time in history, actually exceeded the imports from Denmark, so New Zealand has become Britain's largest single supplier. It is true, continues the Post, that Britain is buying 50 per cent more butter in 1934 than she did in 1929. Steps perhaps might have been taken to secure her a larger share than she had, nevertheless New Zealand has been doing very well on the British market. Unfortunately Britain entered into engagements practically binding her to grant the foreigner a proportionate share of the expansion of the market, thereby limiting New Zealand's opportunity.

That legitimate source of grievance ought to be rectified as soon as the treaties expire. In the meantime Britain, in consultation with New Zealand's representatives, ought to seek means to assist her from the serious crisis to which the commission draws attention.

NEW BOARD AND COUNCIL OPPOSITION EXPRESSED PRESENT BODY'S ATTITUDE [BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION'] WELLINGTON, Friday The Dairy Produce Board at a meeting to-day considered the report of the Dairy Industry Commission. The board decided to confine consideration to two issues, the method of election of a new board and the constitution of a council of production and trade. Members were unanimous in expressing the opinion that in the meantime this was as far as the board should go, as members had not had, sufficient time to study the many detailed recommendations of the report. Most of the producer members of the board opinion very definitely that neither the constitution of the new board nor the commission's recommendation of absolute control for the council of production and trade would commend itself to the dairy industry, and there was a general desire on the part of the board that further time should be allowed for consideration of the whole report. The following motion was carried with regard to the constitution of a new board:—"That the Dairy Board considers that the constitution of a new Dairy Board as submitted by the report of the 'Dairy Commission is unsatisfactory and would not be acceptable to the industry." The following motion with regard to a council of production and trade was also carried:—"That the board expresses the opinion that the council of production and trade submitted by the report of the commission is altogether unacceptable, as it entirely over-rides the powers of the Dairy Board."