NEW MARKETS

Stratford Evening Post, Volume I, Issue 90, 25 March 1931, Page 6

NEW MARKETS

BUTTER AND MEAT

FIELD IN DUTCH EAST INDIES CHANCE FOR NEW ZEALAND AUSTRALIA AT PRESENT POPULAR The cry has frequently been heard, “Why does New Zealand not seek new markets for her dairy produce and meat?” yet little information has been forthcoming about prospects in many hitherto unexploited countries. Now it is learned that the, Dutch East Indies offer a good market for our produce. “There is no reason \Vhy New Zealand butter and frozen meat should not have a good chance in the extensive market provided by the Dutch East Indies,” said Mr. J. de Kuyper, a partner in the Dutch firm of Jobs de Kuyper and Zoon, wh"o visited New Zealand recently. “New Zealand exporters will find the people good business men and absolutely openminded when it comes to importations. They are staunch believers in the principle of 'Let the best man win.' ”

The Dutch East Indies', said Mr. de Kuyper, obtained 60 per cent, of their butter from Australia, depemliyg on the Netherlands for the remainder. “The fact, that Holland, although a great dairying country, cannot compete with Australia in the East Indian market, should point the way to New Zealand’s opportunity,” he said, “for. New Zealand butter is superior to Australian in quality, yon have a lower basic wage, making competition easier, and freights should not be higher. The consumption of butter by Europeans and Chinese is very

to vote without having a very clear understanding as to what he was voting, for. He had been accused’of not having replied ■to the Loader of the Opposition. He did not think, however, that the member for Waitomata had gone so far as to accuse him of being afraid to reply. Mr Harris: I did not suggest that.

The Prime Minister: The Lender ol the. Opposition asked me to think ovc two suggestions .and not to give an answer straight oil'. That was- I lie request 'no made to me and then I am aroused of trying, to sidestep, or avoid the issue. I 'an not afraid, to face the issue. L don't mind giying a straight out answer. I dealt with the question of graduation on the second reading. 1 pointed out that this did not give me the money that was required.

The Prime Minister said that not only, had lie contemplated dealing with the salaries of civil servants, but he had asked private employers to follow the lead of tho Government and nmke a reduction of ten pc - cent. Local hoilios and private employers had followed that load. He had made the request because he realised that it was the only way to bring down costs so that, in the long run, everybody would enjoy a benefit. His intention was to consider a Hardship Commission in regard to public servants. Ho wanted to treat; them as fairly and as equitably as possible. He thought tho House would agree that iu the past, when Hardship Commissions had been set. up they had done their job and given relief. As far as a general principle Bib was concerned, unless it adhered to the benefit to be derived Tom the redimtions it would not he fell by everybody. He had told Hie country ho wanted wages reduced by ten per cent and that had been done by private employers. Hi 1 would rather be defeated a dozen times and face the country thhn go back on his policy now. There was

substantial, providing a market well worth having, “I have travelled a great deal in the Dutch East Indies, yet 1 cannot ever remember a single New Zealand firm active there. Naturally, you must show your faces before you hope to do business, but once there u; will find you will be very well mated.” Mr, de Kuyper expressed the opinion that New Zealand conid import, in return, larger quantities ol Dutch tea than were coming into the Dominion at present. Heavier importations, of tea and other commodities would be a decided inducement to reciprocity. It was purely because of the drop in prices of the products of the Dutch colonies that Holland was suffering from depression at present. Her home industries were flourishing. “Although 1 have not been in Now Zealand long, I have seen sufficient to convince me that it will be one of the first countries to surmount the present period of, depression,” said Mr. de Kuyper. “You appear to face a problem more energetically than Australia: you have more of what I would call The fighting spirit.’ It has been very noticeable in the matter of the Hawke’s Bay earthquake. When I remarked to a Wellington business man, T suppose you will be going to England for a loan to meet reconstruction in Napier and Hastings,’ he said, ‘No, we will try and raise the money ourselves first,’ Ayluch seemed the right independent spirit and typical of everything 1 have seen in this couptry.”

not other way of meeting the situation than by reducing, overhead costs, and the oi|ly way to do that was to make a general reduction in wages. When that was done real wages would not be affected in the slightest. He was quite willing to meet any cases of hardship by setting up a Hardship Commission as ho desired to afford relief in any genuine cases in the service for which the Government was responsible. Mr J.'S. Fletcher (Independent, Grey Lynn) urged the Government to adopt other methods of mooting the fall in revenue than by reducing salaries, and reiterated the suggestions he made during the second rending. Labour members resumed discussion and the short title was still under consideration at eleven o’clock. Comments of i.-c Labour members were interrupted at 11.3 a p.m. by Mr T. D. Burnett (Reform, Tcmuka) who .referred to the fall of primary products, and said that it was a pity the Prime Minister had not taken the members of the House into his confidence and ask their help. He was glad he had agreed to set up a tribunal to go into hardship cases, and he hoped , that the tribunal would go into the wages question from year to year.