THE EMPIRE'S TRADE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22145, 26 June 1935, Page 8

THE EMPIRE'S TRADE

CONSUMPTION PROBLEM SPEECH BY MR. W. ELLIOT NEW ZEALANDERS ENTERTAINED [from our own correspondent] By Air Mail LONDON. June 8 About 380 people, both men and women, attended the luncheon At the Savoy Hotel given by the New Zealand Society in honour of the Prim>3 Minister, Mr. Forbes, and -Mr. Coates. Sir James Parr, president of the society, presided. Others at the principal table were Mrs. Forbes, Mrs. Coates, the Earl and Countess of Liverpool, Lord and Lady Hailsham, Mr. and Mrs. Walter Elliot, Lord and Lady Hewart, Lord and Lady Balfour of Burleigh, Mr. and Mrs. Walter Runciman, General Sir Alexander and Lady Godley, General Sir lan Hamilton, General Sir Charles Fergusson, Sir Frederick and Lady Leith-Ross, Sir Thomas and Lady Wilford, Sir Edward and Lady Harding, Sir Harold Beauchamp, Lady Buckleton, Sir Cecil and Lady Leys, Rear-Admiral and Mrs. Arthur Bromley, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Duncan and Mr. H. G. Dickie. The Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Walter Elliot, in his speech said that New Zealand had won its spurs, both in peace and in war. The tasks of war were temporary; the tasks of peace were eternal. For a British Minister of Agriculture to be at a New Zealand luncheon, at which New Zealand lamb was being served, reminded him of the episode of Daniel in the lions' den. But he had no sympathy with Daniel. The lions wanted more meat, and they complained about the quality that had been served to them. It was quite otherwise in the case of the British consumers. Standard of Living The finest quality of butter and lamb came from New Zealand, said Mr. Elliot, but there was more of it than was required. Great Britain was not merely interested in production, but in consumption. Unless they could maintain and increase the standard of living of the Western peoples and the people who lived in these islands they would not achieve the constantly rising standard of consumption necessary to deal with the problems of Empire production. The British authorities had been in conversation with Mr. Forbes and the other Dominion representatives, the Minister continued, and they had had to begin to work out what would require many years to fulfil. In spite of all the difficulties, something "had already been done. Two or three years ago the consumption of butter was 151b. per head; to-day it was 251b. per head. Unfortunately, of beef had decreased. A year or two ago it was 671b. per head; to-day it was only 601b. per head. Some machinery must be found to relieve Governments of the details of these problems. The best people to run the machinery were those in industry and trade. The political problems of the Empire had been brought very far forward, but those of economic co-opera-tion would confront Empire statesmen for the next ten years. Tribute to Mr. Elliot

Mr. Forbes, in the course of his remarks, said: —"We have had a great deal to do with Mr. Elliot. We have found, right throughout any discussions we have held, he has been scrupulously fair. We recognise the difficulties of his task, and in the circumstances so far as New Zealand is concerned, we have no complaints to make whatever." The matter of over-supply to this country, said Mr. Forbes, had been eased to some extent b3 r New Zealand. The latest figures he had had showed that the total exports from the Dominion in the first four months of the year were valued at £19,556,000, iii* compared with £23,943,000 for the corresponding months of 1934. The imports were £11,337,000, as compared with £9,685,000 for the four months of last year. Thus, they had been able to decrease their exports, which should be for the benefit of- Great Britain, and they had been able to increase their imports. Growth of Dominions' Trade Mr. Coates also quoted figures showing that trade with the Dominions had increased much more than trade with foreign countries. Exports to the Dominions in 1932 . were valued at £64,900,000. In 1934 they were £87,650,000, giving an increase of £22,750,000. Exports to the treaty countries of Russia, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Poland, and the Argentine were £48,000,000 in 1932, and in 1934 their value was £56,300,000. giving an increase of only £8,300,000. Sir James Parr said he had had a letter from Viscount Bledisloe expressing his regret at not being able to bo present, but stating that he was rapidly recovering his health, and in a week or two he would be about again.