EMPIRE PRODUCE

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 19759, 28 March 1934, Page 14

EMPIRE PRODUCE

QUOTA PROPOSALS MISGIVINGS IN SOME QUARTERS LONDON, February 15. The profound apathy which marked the British public’s attitude a few weeks ago to the quota proposals of Major Walter Elliot, Minister of Agriculture, in relation to Empire trade policy has now given place to grave misgiving in influential quarters. Although by the time this article appears in print, the Imperial Government’s policy will probably be known, it is still worth while recording the incidents which have led to an awakening of interest on the part of the British public. No one would deny that Major Elliot has resolutely tackled the successive problems of the wheat subsidies, the Ottawa meat quotas, the restriction of cattle imports, and o' the marketing schemes for hops, milk, bacon and potatoes. He commands the support, and admiration of the majority of British agriculturists and, indeed, of a very large section of the House of Commons, for, in a Parliament reduced to inertia by the size of the Government majority, he has stood out as a courageous and imaginative departmental chief, determined to do his utmost for the interests of the Home farmer. And, of course, until recently in political circles there was a general tendency to accent the theory that to curtail Empire supplies would give better prices all round and thus benefit Home and Empire producers alike. Few took the long view that while the Homeland is still dependent for a large proportion of its supplies upon foreign countries, a policy of curtailing the production of foodstuffs within the Empire is a threat to the whole fabric of Dominion finance, since that rests upon continuous development. Markets and Empire Settlement. It was, perhaps, unfortunate for the Minister of Agriculture that Parliamentary complacency was disturbed a few days ago by the introduction of a motion on Empire Settlement which gave rise to a debate laying bare the fallacy of any attempt to revive Empire settlement at a time when the Government is seriously considering the restriction of the Dominions' outr - When Mr Malcolm MacDonald. Parliamentary Under-Secretary for the Dominions, said, in replying for the Government, that it was unfair to invite the Dominions to accept new emigrants at a moment when they are being asked to restrict their exports, his declaration came as a cold douche to the advocates of e-.ugration. The point was later driven home by that consistent advocate of Empire trade, Sir William Wayland. in a letter to the Press pointing out that nearly 50 per cent, of Britain’s total imports of dairy produce still came from foreign countries which, neither in their bulk nor their average purchases of British goods, supported Home manufacturers to the same degree that the Empire dairy countries support them. Mr Malcolm MacDonald’s point was reinforced a few days later by his chief Mr J. H. Thomas, who pointed out, ’in his speech on New Zealand Day, that to ask a young and growing , nation to restrict its production was asking it to do something foreign to its instincts, and suggested that it was in co-operation between Home and Dominion producers that there lay the solution of the present problem. The Empty Ships. Unless there Las been an irrevocable decision before this letter reaches New Zealand, one can predict that the shipping industry may play some part in modifying the quot. plan. No industrial problem of recent years has appealed to the public sympathy here at Home than has the problem presented by the plight of British shipping and, despite the diversity of the remedies under discussion, the unanimous view is that the raising of artificial trade barriers in all parts of the world has been directly responsible for the present stagnation. It is, therefore scarcely credible that the shipping industry will look with equanimity upon proposals to check 'ie flow of trade between the Dominions and the Homeland—a trade which, as Mr Malcolm MacDc .Id said, is carried to the extent of 90 per cent. In British bottoms. If stimulation to action by the shipping indust -v were needed, it is provided by the fact that, on the strength of the Ottawa agreements, the leading companies engaged in tne trade between the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand have committed themselves to shipbuilding programmes in anticipat’on of a use in production. Within recent months orders for no fewer than 11 Empir. food-carrying ships for the New Zealand-Australian-United Kingdom trade hav® ~? ee!l placed with British shipbuilders. These orders and their influence pon employment at Hc.ne have received the widest publicity i -.d have no doubt come to the notice of the President of the Board of Trade (himself an eminent shipping expert! t.ht Minister of Labour, the Secretary for thDominions, and last, but not least, the Chancellor of the Excheq-er. It remains to be seen whethei this consideration will be Ignore! in Cabinet deliberations and what the shipping industry will have to sa: abom a proposal to hamper and discourage one of its most progressive elements. Local Campaign Successes. Many of these factor: -rere very forcefully brought before the notice of M’s P for industrial constituencies in Lancashire at a luncheon the New Zealand Dairy Produce Board In Manchester gave the other day in connection with a big drive t. increase the popularity of New Zealand butter and cheese there. A numb .- of them showed their sympathy. By the way, the localised campaigns now being carried out -y the New Zealand Dairy Produce Beard s London office in various parts of t lis country continue to rouse public Interest wherever held. In Manchester no fewer than 321 retail grocers entered for the window-dressing competitions the Board organised, and at the moment there are more than 800 shops in the city—a formerly unchallenged stronghold of Danish but. -t now stocking and exhibiting New Zealand butter and cheese.