OTTAWA CONFERENCE

Southland Times, Issue 21658, 21 March 1932, Page 7

OTTAWA CONFERENCE

DOMINION REPRESENTATION ONLY. VIEWS OF FARMERS’ UNION. Aspects of the forthcoming Ottawa Conference were brought under the notice of the Southland Provincial Executive of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union in correspondence received at the monthly meeting on Saturday. A letter from the Hawkes Bay Executive sought co-operation in “meeting the menacing situation that has developed in the matter of competition from Argentina, particularly, and other foreign countries incidentally, against New Zealand products upon the British market.” “The position briefly, respecting Argentina,” stated the letter, “is as follows: In land areas and productive potentiality generally she is utterly overwhelming compared with New Zealand. Her sea distance from Britain is only about half ours; her workers receive an extremely low standard of W'ages and living conditions. Thoroughly trustworthy estimates give the amount of British capital investments in Argentina as upwards of £100,000,000. The exchange monopoly recently granted to the banks by the New Zealand Government has enabled the financial interests to fix exchange rates in such a way that Argentine products enjoy a 20 per cent, advantage over New Zealand produce which, of course, completely submerges any help that may have come to us from the ‘Buy-wit-hin-the-Empire' campaign and also nullifies the British Government’s tariff proposals. The last straw, surely, is the suggestion that this foreign country, which is such a deadly competitor to ours, should be given representation at our domestic discussion which is avowedly aimed to set our Empire house in order. This executive is unanimous in the opinion that the issue to be faced at the Ottawa Conference is whether dividends upon invested capital or the welfare of the average British subject shall be the paramount consideration and is also firmly convinced that if the deliberations of that conference result in a wise and bold policy of finance, stabilization and trade distribution there shall thereby be laid a sure foundation for world rehabilitation and a new era of true progress. We would again urge the essential necessity of confining representations at the forthcoming Ottawa Conference to people belonging to the British Empire, and urge your executive to accord the utmost support to this motion:

“ ‘That this meeting of the Hawkes Bay Provincial Executive of the New Zealand Fanners' Union directs the attention of Dominion headquarters to the menace to

British Empire interests contained in the suggestion that foreign countries may be given some form of representation at the forthcoming Ottawa Empire Conference.’ ” It. was unanimously agreed to support the resolution.

The following letter was received from Mr D. Rutledge (president of the Invercargill Chamber of Commerce) in regard to the coming Imperial Conference at Ottawa: "Since the discussions will of necessity be in the nature of bargaining for concessions, it is of the utmost importance that representatives of New Zealand should be thoroughly conversant with producing interests as well as financial. I take it that the Prime Minister, Mr Downie Stewart and Dr Craig will view the negotiations principally from the financial point of view, while the more important, that of the producer, may be relegated to a more or less secondary place. In order to ensure that this will not eventuate it is advisable that producer interest should be represented and I take the liberty of suggesting that your’ executive use its influence to ensure that two capable men be nominated in addition, one each representing dairying and wool and meat interests. Expense is naturally of great importance, but the effect for good or ill of the decisions of this conference will affect New Zealand for more than one generation, so that the cost should not overrule the prime consideration, namely, the future prosperity of the country. I am probably forestalling the intentions of your executive and if so I trust- you will pardon me, but mj’ excuse is that I am desirous of ensuring that no opportunity be passed in order to keep the business side of the producer interest in evidence.” In the course of a brief discussion it was stated that a representative of the dairying industry had already been nominated. It was agreed to ask the Dominion office to watch the' position carefully and do all possible to ensure all industries being adequately represented.