OTTAWA CONFERENCE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 75, Issue 119, 23 May 1932, Page 6

OTTAWA CONFERENCE

A Sioux and his squaw from Dakota Were asked what they thought of tho quota. From fheir speech which was queer, And uncouth to the car, They seemed not to care an iota. —Punch, December 30, 1931. Sir.—l think this about sums up the general attitm:? of the public to the coming Ottawa ConfercniV. despite the possibility that the repercussions from this important meeting of Empire statesmen and advisers may have a very far-reaching effect on the dairy and meat industries of this country. Before the delegates leave for the conference it is surely important that the dairy and allied industries should | immediately consider the quota proposition from every possible angle, lest . support be prematurely given to pro- | posals inimical to the best interests ol , this country. If the scheme submitted to the con - ference by the United Kingdom representatives absorbs the, whole of our butter ami cheese under a ten per cent, preference and our delegates can satisfy the United Kingdom with a quid pro quo in United Kingdom pro ducts, then presumably, no change of any kind need be made in the present marketing conditions, and freedom to sell e.i.f. or send on open consignment, will continue, through the present importing and wholesale channels. In the absence of any knowledge ol j the proposals which the United King 1 dom representatives may- decide to i place before the conference, the following propositions may be worth con sideri ng:— (a) What is to be our attitude if the United Kingdom offers to accept free of <luty only 85 per cent, of our butter and all our cheese, and how is it intended to apportion this quota of butter to New Zealand factories? (b) What will we do with he remaining 15 per cent, of butter, if shut out by the United Kingdom? (c) What further preference are we prepared to give to United Kingdom products? (d) If the extent of our preference is insufficient to satisfy United King doni’s needs, will our representatives accept a lower quota ? (e) Will our delegates support the scheme if it involves sending all our dairy produce forward to United Kingdom on open consignment? (f) Does the quota system involve arbitrary control of New Zealand produce and fixation of prices by some Government body in tho United King dom in co-operation with reprosenta fives in London of the Now Zealand Dairy Board? (gl If it does, then how is it pro posed to deal with factories which prefer to sell f.o.b. or e.i.f. for whole or part of their produce? (h) Will the New Zealand Dairy Board continue to regulate shipments, or will monthly arrivals be governed by tho British authorities. The sub-committee set up by the Imperial Conference in 1930 to consider the butter quota system, import boards, ami bulk purchasing schemes, comprised eleven representatives from the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia. L'B'i Free State and New Zealand under the chairmanship of Mr A. W. Street. C.I.E. New Zealand was represented by Dr. G. Craig, C.M.G.. L.L.D., and Mr W. Ferguson. This committee’s findings, which I enclose herewith, indicate tl at the ap-

plication of a quota scheme would be a fairly involved process, and they further state that if an Import Board were constituted they estimate it would be necessary to have a stnding credit of about £5,000,006 for butirr alone It scents to mo that no scheme will benefit us which does not allow all our produce to bo exported to the United Kingdom and provide for the continued expansion of the dairv industry in this country. To what extent are we prepared to give way to obtain from the United Kingdom this preference? The whole question should bo seriously considered by every dairy factory directorate in Now Zealand, and their opinions transmitted to the Government. J. T MARTIN. Wellington, Mav 20. 1932.