The Daily News THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1932. PLAYING THE GAME.

Taranaki Daily News, 10 November 1932, Page 4

The Daily News

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1932. PLAYING THE GAME.

offices : NEW PLYMOUTH, Currie Street. STRATFORD, Broadway. HAWERA, High Street.

With the passing of the Customs Acts Amendment Act the trade agreements made by New Zealand with Great Britain have received the formal sanction of Parliament. When, the agreements were framed both parties accepted them not as bargains made so much as the commencement of wider co-opera-tion between two countries in which production took forms which could be of mutual service. Great Britain is seeking extended sales of manufactured goods; New Zealand requires an expanding market for her ever-increasing primary products. Great Britain, has given tariff preference to Dominion products, and in return New Zealand has now lowered its tariff uDon. certain commodities

LUlllL UpUH UDI bCLAUL VUIHIUUU.I LlUk» from Great Britain, and has promised to investigate the working of the tariff generally in an endeavour to afford still more preference to imports from Great Britain. Any opposition to New Zealand’s share of the Ottawa agreements has been based upon anxiety lest the secondary industries of the Dominion should suffer. But as New Zealand depends for its solvency upon the , export of primary produce anything which will expand the principal market for that produce is worth full support. Ministers in Great Britain have also emphasised the “partnership’’ principle which underlies the Ottawa decisions, and, trusting to the spirit of -go-

operation inculcated by them, have appealed to the Dominion for a temporary modification of the agreement in regard to exports of meat from New Zealand. That agreement provided for the acceptance by Great Britain of a tonnage of New Zealand meat this season equivalent to that exported by the Dominion last year. The arrangement was part of an endeavour to increase wholesale prices for the stockowners in Great Britain and in the Dominions. With a limit placed upon Dominion exports Great Britain algo agreed to reduce by degrees the amount of meat imported from foreign countries, principally

South America, the ultimate reduction in two years to he 35 per cent. It was hoped by this means' to give home-grown meat a bigger share of the . English market, and to increase the opportunity for the Dominion exporter at the expense of the foreign, Unfortun-

ately the London meat market has slumped badly since the agreement was made. There is a glut of supplies, and the English stockbreeder cannot obtain satisfactory prices for home-grown meat, while lamb and mutton from New ZonloTl/l ~ J. X

Ziealand are also selling at prices that are quite unremunerative to the growers. In these circumstances the Government of Great Britain has requested New Zealand to restrict its exports of meat this month and next to 10 per cent, less than the quantity exported for the same period' of 1931. The Government and the Meat Producers’ Board have naturally taken some little time to consider the position, for with the wool market showing no signs of rapid recovery dependence upoYi exports of lamb has become greater than ever. Nevertheless it is the duty of the Dominion to play the game with Great Britain in regard to the Ottawa agreements. By its action in regard to exports

of meat the'Dominion’s promise of co-operation will be judged by many in Great Britain. Fortunately the reduction is not to be by class of export but by gross tonnage. As was pointed out by the Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates, it may be possible to limit exports of mutton so .as to keep up the export of lamb. Every one concerned with the industry knows the importance of getting fat lambs away with as little -delay as possible. It is essential not only for economic reasons, but for the sake of quality as well. With mutton the need for haste is not so apparent, particularly in a season like the present, when a good spring has given a Prolific growth

uyxxug O, J/XWJLXJiV gIVVVUI in pastures throughout the Dominion. But even if it entails a little sacrifice on the part of New Zealand to meet Great Britain’s wishes the self-denial will be well worth while. It will convince the stock breeder of the United Kingdom that it is possible to share the market there with the Dominions instead of fighting them for it, and it will show the public of Great Britain and New Zealand that the aspirations towards better intra-Empire commercial relations were something more than idle sentiment. The meat export-

ing countries of South America have been quick to see the necessity for meeting the wishes of their most important customer. They have voluntarily agreed to • restrict their exports by 20 per cent, in the case of mutton and lamb and 10 per cent, as regards beef. With the meat industries in South America the arrangement with Great Britain has been made because it is considered sound business. For New Zealand the same course is equally sound, with the added inducement that it is also a fine gesture of kinship.