DIFFERENT POINT OF VIEW

Taranaki Daily News, 19 April 1933, Page 9

DIFFERENT POINT OF VIEW

PROPOSED BUTTER QUOTA ADVOCACY IN POLITICAL SPEECH. SPIRITED REPLY TO POLITICIAN. THE CASE FOR NEW ZEALAND. A Spirited reply to an English politician who criticised New Zealand’s attitude over restrictions of exports to Britain was contained in a letter from Mr. H. T. B. Drew, of New Zealand House, the Strand, London, published in the Oldham Evening Chronicle on March 2.: Mr. Drew quoted facts and figures deserving of the most serious consideration. “Even though his speech was a political one,” stated Mr. Drew, “Mr. Edward Baker should not have been as unfair as he was in his references to New Zealland in his speech at a meeting of the Oldham Liberals last week. He said: 'Look at the plight of the British farmer! New : Zealand , . . had said, ‘Now for it, let us flood the English market.’ The British farmer had got it in the neck more than anyone else within the past 12 months as the result of the Ottawa tariffs.’

“This is very unfair to the New Zealand farmer. The latter has been having a much worse time than the English farmer! He has built-up his market in this country and sells his butter, lamb and cheese almost exclusively here. Is that wrong? Had he looked to European, or American, or Eastern markets, would he not have had to buy from those countries? Had he done so there would have been no preferences of 25 per cent, for British manufactures as there are today on almost all New Zealand purchases from foreign countries, with free entry for almost all British tainly of those that go there from Lancashire. . “Mr. Baker smiles, and-says:. ‘Yes, but New Zealand’s purchases do; not really count, she has such a small populationone and a-half millions.’ New Zealand may have a small population but if he looks up his Board of Trade returns he will see that New Zealand purchased more British manufactures last year than Denmark, Russia, China, Japan,* Italy, Belgium, nearly as much as Germany and Holland, and as much as Argentina! All these are countries with many times New Zealand’s population. Is .not the New Zealand farmer,; worthy of some, consideration here, especially in a manufacturing area, if he buys so much‘from Britain? .. ...

“I said the .New Zealand farmer was having a bad-timer--His butter -is- selling as low as 10d; a pound , and his cheese at 6d a Britishbutter. ;s .bringing Is 8d a pound;'and'cheese over a; shilling, and yet the New--Zealand farmer’s landis higher priced, his labour is dearer and he is 13,000 miles from th’is'market. Why r he is sending over more than ever-, is in ah endeavour to make quantity of - output balance the lowness of the prices he receives. He does not desire to supplant home produce. He asks only that ms produce should be bought here in preference .to foreign.

“I ask Mr. Baker how: much British butter he buys at the. price at which it stands, how' much British cheese, and how much English lamb?

“There is this point also to remember that the New Zealand farmer pays as heavy overhead charges in the shape of war taxes as the English farmer. How much does the Danish or Russian or Argentine farmer pay in this way? Nothing. 4 ■■ / -. '■ “Mr. Baker cannot have it both ways. If the New Zealand farmer has to'look to other counties to buy his produce he has to expect to sell to those countries. To-day almost the whole of every pound sterling the New Zealand farmer takes for his produce here he pays back for manufactures, or interest on the money he has borrowed for British machinery and other development equipment in the past To-day, English housewives are paying 3d and 4d a pound more for Danish butter, and the Dane does not spend anything like as much with England in return as the New Zealander. The British Medical Research Council has declared that New Zealand butter is of the highest quality, and at this time of the year probably contains greater food value than that of Northern hemispheres. There is plenty of room for New Zealand prodtice here if foreign purchases are cut out, and plenty of room for English produce, too.”