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Press, Volume CV, Issue 31002, 7 March 1966, Page 1

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‘Toughest Yet’ (New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, March 6. The chairman of the Dairy Board (Sir Andrew Linton), who arrived tonight after butter quota talks with British officials in London, declined to discuss the outcome of negotiations. “I’d rather not answer any questions,” Sir Andrew Linton said. Ile said he wanted to meet the Government and the Dairy Board before any announcements were made.

Sir Andrew Linton and the Dairy Board general manager, Mr M. A. Ward, who also travelled to the London talks, said the}' expected to meet the Government and the board this week. Sir Andrew Linton and Mr Ward, however, issued a written statement which described the talks as “the toughest yet.” The statement said the talks were overshadowed by a market heavily dominated by large stocks of butter, with further shipments due to arrive from New Zealand, Australia and European countries. “All this means that the market will continue to be apprehensive about the amount of butter available,” Sir Andrew Linton’s statement said. The amount of butter in Britain "appeal's to exceed heavily the present level of consumption.” The statement mentioned strong differences of opinion leading up to final agreement of the amount of butter New Zealand would send to Britain in the year ending next March. '‘Adverse market results through too much butter being imported in relation to the level of future British butter consumption would affect our economy considerably, not only as a country but also in our dairy production, which

the British acknowledge to be the most economic of its kind in the world.” Sir Andrew Linton paid tribute to the “excellent spirit and sound negotiating ability with which the New Zealand delegation was heard.” New Zealand’s case was pressed home at Government, official and industrial level. As a result the British Government now accepted the fact that the outcome of any genuine differences of opinion could be of grave importance to New Zealand. In addition to the formal discussions during the delegation’s five-week visit, Sir Andrew Linton had private talks with the British Prime Minister (Mr Wilson), and with Cabinet Ministers.