PRODUCE EXPORTS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23000, 30 March 1938, Page 14

PRODUCE EXPORTS

DOMINIONS WARNED THE BRITISH MARKET NEARIMG SATURATION REGULATION OF SUPPLIES By Telegiaph—Press Association —Copyright (Received March 21), 11.55 p.m.) SYDNEY. March 2D Addressing th-e Empire Producers' Conference in Sydney to-day, Sir Reginald Dorraan Smith, M.P., leader of the British delegation, warned the Dominions they could not continue to regard Britain as their only export market for primary products. Ho then set out to show how producers should attempt to regulate supplies to the , United Kingdom in order to avert economic collapse.

Sir Reginald appealed to the dolegates to lay tho foundation of an intelligent Empire agricultural policy, and said it should be their duty to get a- clear picture of tho ultimate limitation of the absorptivo capacity of the British market. Realities must be faced. The saturation point in tho Home market was much nearer than many imagined. H-3 emphasised that the Dominions, which were now developing secondary industries and thus diminishing their dependence upon the United Kingdom for manufactured goods, could not at tho same time expect an ever-increasing sljare of tho United Kingdom market for agricultural produce, nor could the Mother Country atford entirely to cut off her agricultural connection with such countries as Denmark. Holland and Argentina. /

Sir Reginald mentioned that the eyes of the world were on that conference, which he regarded as a great opportunity and a challenge to those nations which were setting out to create a new world order. He suggested the conference should inaugurate a series of Empire commodity councils to deal with such products as mutton, lamb, pork, dairy produce, eggs, apples and pears, calling into collaboration producers' representatives of the principal foreign supplying companies. The aim must bo for a regulated market and maximum supplies to the consumer consistent with a resonabla level of remuneration for the producer.