LONG-TERM POLICY

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 18920, 23 January 1936, Page 8

LONG-TERM POLICY

AGRICULTURE AND POOD PACTS WITH DOMINIONS LONDON, Jan. 11. Government, exports aio working out a new long-term policy for agriculture and food, both regarding home produced and overseas produced. The proposals will be submitted to the Cabinet, early. The Daily Herald states that opinion is swinging to the idea of ririilateral trade pacts with the Dominions of tbe same character as those with foreigners, instead of an all-in agreement, like the Ottawa agreement. It declares that British farmers and industrialists alike are opposed to another Ottawa, conference.

The position, of the Cabinet is complicated by the new Ministries in New Zealand and Canada. Meanwhile the work of the marketing boards, it is declared, is held up, pending definiteness of Government policy. The Minister for Agriculture (Mr. Elliot), who originally was a. strong supporter of the subsidy policy for wheat, meat, and sugar-beet, it is now reported, has been won over to a policy of diverting a large part of the 'subsidy expenditure to stimulating production of "daily" products such as fruit and vegetables so that the poorer families may be able to purchase these in larger quantities. A scheme on these lines is Teported to be part of the new long-term policy now being discussed.