WITH ONE VOICE.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20479, 4 December 1934, Page 1

WITH ONE VOICE.

Commonwealth Agricultural Council Proposed. United Press Assn.—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright. CANBERRA, December 3d ? A conference of representatives oi the Commonwealth and State Governments was opened to-day with the object of creating an Australian agricultural council similar to the Loan Council, by which it will be possible for Australia to “ speak with one voice ” upon agricultural and marketing questions. The objects are to formulate a policy in regard to Empire marketing relations, to place the wheat industry on a stable basis and to adopt a workable scheme for the rehabilitation of necessitous farmers. Dr Earle Page (Commonwealth Minister of Commerce), who presided, directed attention to the urgency of the meat export position and said that if restrictions were imposed by Great Britain. Australia would have to consider seriously the abandonment of her natural policy of progressive development and the adoption of an unnatural and uneconomic policy of providing her own requirements internally. The Ministers appointed a sub-com-mittee to draw up a constitution.

RESTRICTION OF WHEAT.

CANBERRA, December 3. At the agricultural conference a subcommittee was also appointed to prepare a plan for rural rehabilitation, ensuring complete collaboration of the Commonwealth and the States. The Minister of Agriculture recommended that Australia’s annual wheat export quota be further restricted from 150 to 120 million bushels in accordance with a suggestion from the Australian representative on the International Wheat Advisory Committee. The conference will endeavour to arrive at a decision on this issue tomorrow.