MEAT EXPORT

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 55, 7 March 1939, Page 7

MEAT EXPORT

BRITISH MARKET RESTRICTIONS ISSUE MR. COATES REPLIES TO MR. NASH L Per Press Association.] AUCKLAND, March 4. “As understood in the language of fishermen I have at least been successful in securing an early rise,” said the Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates, M.F., in commenting on the reply made by the Minister of Marketing, Hon. W. Nash, to his statement regarding the meat restrictions, “but in perusmg Mr. Nash's statement it appears that Mr. Nash is arguing on the basis of shouting, ‘Garn, you’re another. "It is well known that I caused the depression,” Mr. Coates said, “out now Mr. Nash wishes to hah me as the inventor of quotas. Let Mr. Naan or anyone else read the pamphlet referred to and try to make himself believe that I introduced quotas. 1 think I have made it clear already that between 1931 and 1935 we hud to face difficulties in the way of meat restriction proposals just as difficult as anything Mr. Nash has encountered, but I repeat that during that period our exports of mutton and lamb to the United Kingdom were never restricted. We worked to allocations certainly, but they were always roomy enough to give us hope of expansion. “As for the mutton and lamb allocation, in the first full year following Ottawa it was definitely 4,000,000 cwt. I have stated that the arrangement was subsequently varied, but that figure was always considered in subsequent negotiations. Mr. Nash has now submitted tamely Io a reduction mandaterily made of 500,OOOcwt. Regulation. “In all the quota discussions with which I was personally concerned the case of the New Zealand Government was based on regulation not restriction. It must be recognised that the regulation of all meat supplies is necessary to maintain the position of mutton and lamb, in which we have such a dominant interest. “The plain fact of lhe matter,” Mi. Coates addea, “is that Mr. Nash iiar lost the expanding share of the British market, for which we struggled so hard. Apparently he has bee»» so busy with his plans lor social security and import restrictions that he has not considered the meal position to be sufficiently important lor a strong effort on his part. That is the only inference that can be drawn from the fa<;ts as they are at present known. “Mr. Nash’s speeches, v. hen in Opposition, concerning the Ottawa and London discussions make interesting reading to-day. Mr. Nash cannot shelter behind his officials, nor can he hide behind the Meat Board. People expect him to explain truthfully what has happened since he took office in all matters affecting the meat export trade. “It is encouraging to think that one has at least succeeded in rousing Mr. Nash from his long silence,” concluded Mr. Coates. “All we can do now is to wait for him to give us a detailed account of the manner in which he fought the restrictions— oi accepted them—and full information as to the steps which the Government proposes to take to deliver the meat trade from its present difficulties.” Hon. W. Nash Replies. / In the course of a reply to Mr. Coates, Mr. Nash said the Government had pressed to the full New Zealand’s claims for a favourable market in the United Kingdom. “Without pretending that our proolems have all been solved or for that matter ever will be in any final sense, we have had a good measure of success,” he said. "iNo restriction or reduction has ever been opposed on killing, production or export. “We do not want to harp unduly on the past. The present and tne future are more our concern, but when Mr. Coates boasts in all his quoted discussions that his case was regulation not restriction, has he altogether forgotten the order he and lhe Government made in 1934 prohibiting certain classes of beef and veal exports? Even if'he has, I think lhe farmers have not forgotten the bearing of this on their returns, on bobby calves for instance. So muon for Mr. Coates. The task of the Labour Government is to avoid these disastrous measures of previous Governments. We have our difficulties and we are well aware that we have our shortcomings. Yet we need not fear comparison with those who went before, not even with Mr.