A WARNING FROM LANCASHIRE.

Taranaki Daily News, 17 August 1934, Page 4

A WARNING FROM LANCASHIRE.

The decision of the retailers in certain Lancashire towns to boycott dairy produce from Australia is very unfortunate. It is said to be due to the announcement by the Prime Minister, Mr. J. A. Lyons, that the tariff on textiles would be maintained in order that the Australian cotton mills might be protected. But the Commonwealth has maintained a high tariff for many years, and it is for the Australian Government to show that so far as domestic requirements will permit it has endeavoured to give effect to the Ottawa agreement insofar as imports from Great Britain are concerned. It is a pity that the boycott should have begun in Lancashire. Trade there is terribly depressed and shows few signs of recovery. Moreover the Lancashire people are noted for their determination in any public affairs in which they are sufficiently interested to take action, and it is in those northern manufacturing centres of Great Britain that it was hoped to extend the sales of New Zealand butter and cheese. If Australian produce is to be boycotted the illeffects of that action may extend to imports from New Zealand,. and in any case are sure to add to the difficulties of making a settlement for future trading with the Government of Great Britain. Ministers have stated on more than one occasion that any agreement made would have to apply to all the self-governing units of the Empire, unless existing treaties prevent such application, and the Australian policy may therefore have unhappy repercussions on New Zealand’s trading arrangements with the United Kingdom. That matters should have reached this unfortunate position in regard to Australian produce is a warning also against undue procrastination on the part of any Government concerned, including the Government of Great Britain.