BRITISH FARMERS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21102, 12 August 1930, Page 4

BRITISH FARMERS.

PROTECTIVE MEASURES.

MR BALWIN ON JUMPING.

(From Our Own Correspondent.)

, LONDON, June 19. Speaking at. an open-air meeting at Seaton., Aberdeen, Air Stanley Baldwin explained what -the Conservative' Government would do for. the farmers.

We propose, in regard to wheat (he said), ,to give* a guaranteed price to make wheat-growing remunerative. In regard to malting barley, I think we may safely experiment with a duty on that. As to beet sugar, I 'have consulted some of the' experts, and they, are agreed that we ought to grow in this country up 'to more than double our present acreage. 1 hope to' see that done. I am-not going to say that will be done: with a subsidy, but I will say that it is perfectly obvious we shall have to examine the situation with the '• greatest care to see whether the. industry can sutviye. without a bounty, and, if one is essential, to what extent it is so. ’ Dumped or bounty-fed bats \must be stopped, and they shall be stopped, either. by , prohibition or by countervailing duties. It is only right' to warn you' that such a prohibition might interfere with some convention or treaty already in existence. But I should have no hesitation in. denouncing any ' treaty or agreement which tied our hands in the slightest degree, in doing what 1 want, and intend, to do to atop dumped oats. There is -no difficulty in denouncing a treaty if you have the weapon of , .safeguarding in your hand, when it • comes to .making a neW> one'. . In regard to the herring industry, Mr, Baldwin said fye would consider the rer suits of any inquiry -which the present Government mignt set up, or, if necessary, would apt up a committee of his own to inquire into the matter. Turning to unemployment, Mr Baldwin said;— '

We' may freely admit that, while .there is a good deal wrong with. the world at large, there is >a great deal more wrong at ’ home. Present conditions ■ are very largely due, in my opinion, to the direct action of the Government itself. 1 believe; it is impossible for industry to revive so long as legislation .such as we have been accustomed to in these last two months continues. There should be an absolute cessation of it, the most rigid economy should be practised at once, and there should be qo further expenditure until the industries of the country have revived. In this situation there is only one thing to be done. We have to fight the foreigner with the weapon he uses to fight us. You cannot fight the lower standards of life on the Continent entirely by international agreements. They are much too slow, even if they are effective. You want to strike and strike at once, and the only way to do it is by giving the Government in power a free band with safeguarding.