QUOTA PRINCIPLE FEARED

Taranaki Daily News, 13 July 1933, Page 5

QUOTA PRINCIPLE FEARED

PROPOSALS TO CONFERENCE POLAND SUBMITS SCHEME EFFECT ON NEW ZEALAND ACTIVITIES OF MINISTERS (Special to N.Z. United P.A.) ' Rec. 5.5 p.m. London, July 11. The increasing advocacy of the quota principle as a means of raising the level of produce prices is causing the New Zealand Ministers visiting London, Messrs G. W. Forbes and R. Masters, considerable concern. Sir Austen Chamberlain, Mr. Walter Runciman and Sir Philip Cunliffe Lister have each spoken in favour of a system of control over the production of foodstuffs, though stating that plans in this direction require the support of a large number of producing countries. Mr. W. E. Elliot, Minister of Agriculture, is a particularly strong advocate of regulation of production and exports on the part of supplying countries as a means of raising prices to British farmers: In a recent speech he said that despite the 20 per cent, tariff, 18,000 tons more butter was supplied to Britain than in the same period last year. In submitting the agricultural estimates in the House of Commons to-day he sought to show that the application of quotas on meat, bacon, wheat and hops had undoubtedly raised prices to British producers. The conference sub-committees so far have considered the application of quotas to wheat, wine, sugar, coal and wood, but now Poland has submitted a draft resolution to the conference committee on co-ordination of production and marketing that the Governments of butterexporting countries should set up without delay an international dairy council, (1) . to study means of reducing competition between such countries in general and on rationed markets in particular, (2) to ensure better distribution throughout the year, eliminating gluts at certain seasons in certain markets, and (3) to study the possibilities of better international standardisation. This motion is yet to be dealt with. Messrs Forbes and Masters are in close consultation with the chairmen of the New Zealand produce boards, and are holding frequent meetings with the British Cabinet.