N.Z. TRADE.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20331, 14 June 1934, Page 9

N.Z. TRADE.

FORCIBLE REPLY BY MR

COATES

Propaganda Circulated. ECONOMIC RELATIONS WITH BRITAIN. Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, June 14. The Minister of Finance (Mr Coates) made the following statement to-day:— “ Readers of the newspapers have recently had the privilege of reading, and members of the Ministry are regularly having forwarded to them resolutions adopted by public meetings ‘ demanding the fulfilment of New Zealand’s obligations under the Ottawa agreement.’ These resolutions, more or less impressive in their uniformity, bear the stamp of a master mind, and there is little doubt that months ahead will see the persistence of the propaganda At the same time, the country shows signs of being inundated with tracts and reprints, also from interested sources, which seek to prejudice in the public mind the case for any tariff revision and to lead readers to feel that any such revision, however carefully it may have been considered, will spell black ruin for the Dominion and its industries. In the sense that these two forms of public instruction and entertainment may, perhaps, best be left to cancel out or to balance each other, allowing for exaggerations on either side, the public can be trusted to draw their own conclusions. They are not likely to be unduly influenced by extravagant mis-statements from whatever source these may come, and however attractively they may be presented. A Word of Warning. “ However, I feel that a word of warning is necessary, and at the moment I refer particularly to some remarks ascribed to Mr Albert Russell. “ Mr Russell is a well-known entertainer, and everyone appreciates the commendable public spirit he has shown, but this is not to say that his is the last word on traderelations between Great Britain and New Zealand, nor on the more limited issue of our fulfilment of the terms of the Ottawa agreement. Mr Russell is reported to have said that New Zealand is not ‘ playing the game ’ under the Ottawa agreement, that we have ‘ fallen down by not carrying out our undertakings,* and that until Parliament dealt with the Tariff Commission’s report there would have been years of delay ‘ without doing anything.’ “ All these assertions are untrue. They are pernicious to the extent they are circulated in falsely stating the position as between New Zealand and Great Britain. It is true that there was delay in commencing the inquiry into our tariff, but why did this delay occur? It was specifically requested by the British Government so that their manufacturers could have an opportunity of preparing their case. Apart from this general tariff review, the alteration of specific tariff items and the removal of the surtax from United Kingdom goods were carried throughout without the loss of a single day after we were able, by arrangement with the British Government, to make known the terms of the agreement. ** In the face of this plain fact, how can anyone say * Nothing has been done* by New Zealand? Machinemade resolutions are pretty well valuei le ss at any time. When they are based on false information given to the public, their value is still less, but still one leams to accept more or less philosophically the fact that such resolutions will be adopted without demur by goodnatured audiences that face the speakers; and once a campaign is started we may expect to see a repetition of the necessary formula over and over again.”

MARKETS IN THE EAST.

Natives Prefer Their Own Produce. (Special to the " Star.") WELLINGTON, June 14. When the expression “ We must find other markets ” is used, it generally signiies markets other than the United Kingdom. These other markets, unfortunately, are almost all surrounded by formidable tariff walls or other barriers, not forgetting the difficulty of getting the proceeds for produce out of some of them. The belief that China's millions, for example, are in themselves a market for the products of New Zealand and that, in addition to these millions, there are other millions in India, Japan, Malaya and the Netherlands Indies, all only too anxious to buy New Zealand products dies hard. The opinion of Mr R. Boulter, British Trade Commissioner in, New Zealand was sought by the “ Post ” on this subject of Eastern markets. Mr Boulter, who has come direct from Singapore, was for some time on consular duties in Japan, and subsequently was commercial secretary to the British Embassy at Tokio. In Singapore he was in close touch with Chinese and other Asiatic peoples, in addition to the Malays, and who are settled in large numbers throughout all the East Indies.

The Japanese, he thought, would always be customers for New Zealand wool. They had been in the New Zealand market for many years, but Mr Boulter could not see that any considerable market could be found *in Japan for the other products of New Zealand, meat and dairy products, for example. The foreign consumer population vras very small in Japan, and he thought their wants in the matter of meat, butter and cheese were fairly well provided for. He was not prepared to speak of China and Hong-Kong from first-hand knowledge. Japan, he remarked, was already- an exporter of milk products, and he mentioned condensed milk, which had a ready sale if cheap enough among the Chinese. The Position in Singapore.

As to Singapore, the Indians there preferred their own ghee, the Chinese their own bean oil and groundnut oil and the Malay his coconut oil, so that the outlet for New Zealand butter among the mass of the people did not appear to be promising. Cheese they did not care about. Here, again, the foreign population was comparatively small, and its imported foodstuffs came from many sources, but the market ap-

peared to be well met, especially in butter from Australia.

Canned fruits had a good sale among the better-off Asiatic population, as well as among peoples of European origin. England was packing with great success small fruits, such as plums and berries, but trade in peaches, apricots and pears, was met by Australia and the United States.

Asked about bacon and pork products, Mr Boulter said he thought the greater part of the bacon and ham trade was in the hands of British curers, but the Chinese themselves were very successful pig raisers, and were able to produce pork for their own requirements at a price that might be ! very difficult for New Zealand to meet.