DRINK MORE MILK.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20277, 11 April 1934, Page 1

DRINK MORE MILK.

England’s Only Way Out of Difficulty. IMPORT DUTY HAS FAILED. United Press Assn.—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright. (Received April 11, 9.50 a.m.) LONDON, April 10. Replying to complaints in the House of Commons that the unlimited importation of butter and cheese was throwing the home milk scheme into chaos, Mr W. Ormsby-Gore, in the absence of Mr W. E. Elliot, Minister of Agriculture, said that on a free import basis there was not a single agricultural product which could not be obtained cheaper from overseas than it could be produced here. Despite a 15 per cent duty, imports of foreign butter had not declined in the past three years. Imports of foreign cheese and condensed milk had been substantially reduced, but there had been a continuous rapid and unexpected increase in the imports of the Dominions’ butter and cheese, which was the basic cause of the home milk price being unsatisfactory, as it prevented them from obtaining a decent price for home milk products. The only solution was a big increase in the consumption of fresh milk in Britain. New Zealand’s Position. The “Manchester Guardian” says: “ There is a real danger that if Mr Elliot insists on pushing his schemes for promoting British agriculture the logical conclusion will be to antagonise the Dominions. New Zealand seems resigned to selling as much as possible, and even to dumping, while Ottawa protects her. When the agreement expires she will inevitably develop her secondary industries behind a tariff wall, excluding British goods. Ottawa gave the Dominions a privileged market, and its withdrawal would mean serious repercussions to Britain’s export trade. The British consumer must also be prepared to pay higher prices for his food in order that the British, farmer may be fully occupied.’’