English Farmers Appeal For Dairy Produce Quota

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18203, 26 September 1933, Page 8

English Farmers Appeal For Dairy Produce Quota

JX view of tln> presence in -\iw Zenj a n(l of Mi. Thomas Baxter, a former president. ot the National Farmers’ TT 3i ion ami chairman of the Milk .Marketing' Board, the attitude o.t | he. English Jar me r in the matter of quotas is of interest. This is set, out in a letter to the Daily Telegraph by .Mr. D. 1. Dates, present president of tlio National Farmers’ 1 nion, and if slates:—

“bast month the Domicil of the .National Banners’ Duion adopted a resolution which emphasised the great, urgency of an immediate tim.lerstaruliug being reached with the Dominions on the application of quotas to the importation of dairy products, and llm further regulation of meat imports.

‘‘The, resolution referred. spec ideally to tlie dependence of the Milk Markeliug Scheme .for its success upon the effective control of milk product ini ports. It urged the need lor a friendly understanding with Dominion pioducers, in view of the position created by the Ottawa Agreements Ac t.

“This resolution came under the uoti.ee of itr. 0. W. Forbes, the Yew Zealand Premier, who was in London for tdie World Monetary and'Economic Conference. Air. Forbes extended an invitation to the. union to send out representatives who should meet .Dominion farmers, with the object oi putting before, them the position of tdie milk industry in this country, and learning more of the position o.t the industry in New Zealand. Accordingly Air. Thomas Baxter, the chairman' of the .Milk Marketing B.oanl and chairman of our Atilk and Dairy Produce Committee, is going out.

Ottawa Agreements. “ Under the Ottawa Agreements the continuance of free entry into the British market was guaranteed to butter, cheese and other milk products from the Dominions for a period of three years certain. After the expiration of that period the British Dovenanent would be free to review, if desired, that basis of preference.

“Although it is only a year since the Ottawa Agreements were reached, circumstances have already made it imperative that the Dominions chiefly concerned —New Zealand. Australia and Canada—-should review the British Government\s undertaking in respect to dairy produce. For the slump in prices lias made it as much a. matter of urgency in their case as in our own that prompt and effective steps should be taken to raise the wholesale price level.

“Mn addition, the formulation of milk marketing schemes, both by the National Fanners’ Enioii and by Scottish producers, 'lias made it of fundainentaPiinpoidance that the home Government should be placed in a position to regulate quantitatively overseas supplies of milk products en taring the Failed .Kingdom market. In the absence of such regulation the schemes could hardly hope to function successfully. Variations by Consent.

“During the course of the World Monetary and Economic Conference something in the nature of a second “Ottawa” Conference took place, and it is fairly safe to assume that the dairy produce position was carefully examined, flow far the representatives of the .Home Government and the Dominions progressed in regard to a variation of the Ottawa pacts of last year we do not know. 1 ‘Every .farmer iu this country will earnestly hope that as a result of the conferences iu which Mr. Baxter participates in New Zealand, understandings will be reached which will lead to a variation, by consent, of the Ottawa Agreements. “The events of last year made it abundantly plain that the collaboration established at Ottawa between Empire producers must be continued in the future. Bong before the need for Air. Baxter’s mission was even contemplated, the Union gave Ala, jo’Elliot, tlie assurance that if, in Ins estimation, it. would serve any useful purpose, my colleagues and myself would tit, till times be prepared to confer wit'll the representatives of Dominion producers’ interests. “It, was iu the spirit, of that a* sura nee that the union accepted the invitation extended by Air. Forbes.”