THE REQUESTS OF THE POTATO-GROWERS.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIV, Issue 21065, 17 June 1938, Page 8

THE REQUESTS OF THE POTATO-GROWERS.

It is quite clear now that all the potato-growers of New Zealand ask of the Minister of Marketing is that he should perform one of those miracles of trade treatymaking he promised during the election campaign in 1935. No one has asked tiie Minister to commandeer the potato crop, or socialise the production and distribution of this essential commodity. The potato growers have the goods to sell, and all they seek is the opening up of a profitable market in which they can carry through the business of disposing of the balance of the crop, after the needs of New Zealand have been met. It is pertinent to recall at this juncture in face of the growers’ request to the Minister of Marketing, and the Minister’s somewhat nou-committtal reply, that the .Minister of Marketing had the potato-growers’ problems in his mind in the pamphlet he issued prior to the general election in 1935, when the Labour Party made such a strong bid for the electoral support of the farmers. On page 15 of .Mr Nash’s pamphlet “Guaranteed Prices: Why and How,’’ will be found the outline of the Party’s proposal for meeting a position, such as has arisen in the case of the potatogrower. All that is needed is the sale of the surplus crop, and everyone knows that there is a large demand in Australia, at remunerative price levels. Here is Mr Nash’s plan : ‘‘The procedure it is proposed to follow would be through the completion of agreements with Great Britain and other countries, under which the Dominion would be given a market by overseas countries for a quantity of butter, cheese and other primary products under a reciprocal undertaking by the Dominion, to utilise the credit obtained from the sale of our exports for the purchase of goods for importation into New Zealand. Similar agreements have been completed between Great Britain and sixteen other countries.’’ Nothing is simpler. The onus is now upon the lion. Walter Nash as (Minister of Finance and Minister of Marketing to redeem this election undertaking. It seemed all so simple then. As far as trade with Australia is concerned it is known, of course, that New Zealand has already provided the credits for the purchase of this country’s potatoes; indeed, the following figures indicate that there are millions of credits every year which ought to be applied to the purchase of New Zealand goods by Australia. These figures indicating New Zealand's trade relations with Australia, speak for themselves:

These figures demonstrate the unsatisfactory condition of the trade relations between Australia and New Zealand. In three years. New Zealand purchased Australian goods valued at about £13.000,000. while Australia's three year purchases in New Zealand totalled a little more than £5,000,(1(10. I’olalogrowers in New Zealand are well-versed in the unsatisfactory state of trade relations between Australia and New Zealand, and they do not wish the Government to enter into the potatoselling business. All they ask is that the Minister of Marketing should redeem his election promise to conclude a reciprocal undertaking with Australia, which would provide for the utilisation of credits created in New Zealand from the purchase of Australian goods, to be applied in the purchase of New Zealand's surplus potato production, which, after all, would not absorb very much of the substantial adverse trade balance that has been growing steadily more disadvantageous to the Dominion over the past ten years.

Imports from Australia Exports to Australia Year. £ £ 1934 .. .. .. .. 3.532,068 1,882,516 1935 .. .. .. .. 4.295,457 1,781.811 1936 .. .. .. .. 5.220.399 1,843,475