DAIRY PRODUCE QUOTA

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 75, Issue 142, 18 June 1932, Page 8 (Supplement)

DAIRY PRODUCE QUOTA

attitude of industry MODIFIED SYSTEM DESIRED t •HELP TO NATURAL PATRIOTISM.’* The ease for the quota proposition as applied to New Zealand dairy produce is outlined in a recent market survey issued by A. S. Paterson and Company, Ltd., of Auckland. “Some expressions of opinion given recently on the subject of quotas for New Zealand primary products/’ states Paterson and Company. 41 have been based on the assumption that the quota system would be applied to Empire producing countries. M hat might be termed a full or complete quota system-would possibly be expected to work on such lines, but with regard to New Zealand dairy produce the position is that the New Zealand producer is not contemplating for one moment being restricted to a maximum quantity as far as the United. Kingdom market is concerned. What we want is, what might be termed, a modified quota system, the quota or restriction of imports into the United Kingdom to apply to foreign butter and cheese, not to the production of Empire countries. ‘‘Cheese is not affected to anything like the extent of butter, because very largely the bulk of cheese imported into the United Kingdom is produced within the Empire, New Zealand and Canada supplying the major portion. It is butter we are chiefly concerned with as far as quotas are concerned and what the Empire producer wants is for the United Kingdom market to be substantially conserved for the consumption of Empire butter; that is, English home production and the production of the various Empire units which are to a greater or lesser extent dependent on the United Kingdom market for their means of livelihood.” The company’s article adds that the industry wants to see a quota system worked on an elastic basis applied to Danish and other Continental butters in such a way as to maintain the United Kingdom market *n a uniform and healthy state, with prices neither too high nor too low. The provision for elasticity would enable foreign imports to be regulated to a great extent according to the requirements of the situation from time to time. A stable market was wanted at fair, reasonable prices, which would give the Empire producer a decent livelihood and at the same time impose no hardship on the United Kingdom consumer. The United Kingdom consumer was no doubt realising a little more the desirability of eating a little more Empire and a little less foreign butter, but the bringing in of a quota system against foreign importations was probably going to be a material help lo his natural patriotism. Great Britain could cut down Danish butter importations very substantially and still be in the position of being a better customer to Denmark than Denmark was to Great Britain.