RESTRICTION OF EXPORTS

Waipa Post, Volume 49, Issue 3505, 14 August 1934, Page 5

RESTRICTION OF EXPORTS

THE POSITION REVIEWED. RECIPROCAL TREATIES NECESSARY. The following comments by Mr J S. Jessep, vice-president of the N.Z. Sheepowners’ federation, were made at a meeting ot sheep farmers held at Gisborne on Saturday:The restriction of exports of produce to the United Kingdom is the most serious disaster which has ever threatened New Zealand. Unless other markets are found it puts a limit on the development of our country whicu will have far-reaching effects. We have looked upon ourselves as part and parcel of the Homeland, and a few years ago such a thought as that any of our produce would be shut out of England was outside tlie realm of our ideas. The whole talk then was for the extension of Empire trade, trade within the Empire. New Zealand went to greater lengths in fostering this idea than any other of the Dominions. Preference was granted to British manufacturers, and any attempts to negotiate trade treaties with other court, tries were entirely lost sight of. Nev. Zealand had drawn her finance largely from England, or rather the early settlers of New Zealand had drawn funds from their Home and developed in the Southern Hemisphere another portion of Great Britain. In the midst of growing trade barriers throughout the world, the Empire Trade Conference was called at Ottawa. The position as put beforethe Dominions there was that British farmers must be protected, but the general impression left at the conclusion of the Ottawa Conference was, British farmers first, and after them the Dominions. On the heels of tins conference came a trade treaty with our principal competitor, the Argentine—a trade treaty which gives tlio Argentine practically Dominion status. Prior to this treaty the restrictions imposed upon the Argentine in connection with meat were flagrantly disregarded, and England accepted tne position. This week we read that again the Argentine lias disregarded the wheat quota. Argentine interests are very powerful in Great Britain. “Definitely New Zealand must accept the position that Great Britain is going to trade with the world, and import that proportion of our produce she requires and no more. Sentiment does not enter in the slightest degree in the trade relations in Great Brit ain. She must perforce trade where it suits her, and the recent trade treaties made with other countries by Great Britain should indicate to New Zealand quite clearly exactly where we stand. “In New Zealand we have the extraordinary position that, although as yet no quota has been imposed by Great Britain upon any of the Dominions, the Meat Board has imposed not a quota but an absolute embargo upon the export of beef. This is a serious disaster to the North Island where the running of cattle is essential to tnc maintenance of better pasturage. This embargo was imposed last year by tlie Meat Board with the result that the beef was held in store until early m this year and then destroyed our market for 1934. “Meantime farmers in the North Island have to be content with whatever price is offered for well-bred bee? cattle. Presumably this action was taken by the Meat Board with the Idea of conciliating tlie Home authorities, obviously without result. However, the plain position now before New Zealand is quite definitely that we must seek other markets. T.O depend any longer on British markets alone and face the restriction of our exports with the consequent disastrous effect on the future development of our country, is too serious to contemplate. “The greatest market which might be opened to New Zealand produce is unquestionably the United States Oi America. There w r e have a large Eng-lish-speaking race with tastes similar to our own. It is for New Zealand to do everything possible to arrange reciprocal trade with the United States, even though it may mean giving greater preference to certain manufactures from America than is at present given to Great Britain. In 1927 and 1928 with a three-cent duty against beef we exported 276,000 quarters to Great Britain. A higher duty was then imposed, and our trade died away.

“The most important work before tlie New Zealand Government at the present time is unquestionably the negotiating of a trade treaty to open up the United States for at least some of New' Zealand exports. We have at the present time two large American companies operating in the meat market in New Zealand —Swifts and Armours. As far as the New Zealand farmer is concerned, the day has gono by when the operations of these firms might prove detrimental. Both these firms have distributing depots widely spread throughout the United States They are interested in the internal trade of the United States, and may be of inestimable benefit to New Zealand producers in developing a masket for our meat and for beef in particular and marketing it at such seasons in the United States as will least interfere with the operations of farmers in that country. The matter is of imperative importance to every farmer in New Zealand. “If the beef or pork market, is to be restricted, both of which commodities are exported solely from the North Island, obviously the South Island must share in the restriction of meat. To balance this would almost mean a total prohibition of the export of mutton from the South Island. Any such pvoposal would, of course, be utterly disastrous, and the only way to avolft it and to allow the development o? New Zealand to go on, is for every possible attempt to be made to negotv ate a reciprocal trade treaty with tin? United States. President. Roosevelt has now full power from Congress, to negotiate such treaties. Information is to hand that the Argentine is already in the field. Fortunately for New Zealand, fresh meat from the Argentine has so far been barred owing to the existence of foot mouth disease. New Zealand is ?■ clean country and no barrier exists in that direction. “No other suoject is of such importance to New Zealand as maintaining and extending our overseas markets, and the Government should concen-

trate on the making of such reciprocal treaties as will allow the development of the Dominion to continue.*'