Protest At Machinery Going Out Of N.Z.

Chronicle (Levin), 17 August 1949, Page 3

Protest At Machinery Going Out Of N.Z.

WELLINGTON, Angust 16. * Concern over the announced intention of a firni oi New Zealand contractors to export searce earth moving equipment for use on an irrigation contract in Australia, is expressed by the Aid for Britain National Council whieh has written to the Prime Minister, Mr. Fraser, asking him to consider intervention. Most of the clearing work necessary to bring into production great areas of land now not fully used, could be done only with caterpillar tractors, it was pointed out, and farms and contractors were desperately short of those machines. . Heavy clayns for dollars for the same type of equipment for 1950, had unfortunately been lodged by the Earthmovers' Association and by the Ministry of Works and' other Government Departments and that must necessarily restriet the total dollar allocation for farm machinery. As Earthworks Ltd. apparently planned to tender for another large Australian contract later in the year, the council felt it was obvious that the machinery would be eompletely lost to the Dominion as 12 months or more of hard use would malce its return to New Zealand an unjustifiable expense. New Zealand would therefore have made a present to Australia whieh had never restricted its dollar purchases as closely as the Dominion. The council eonsidered that if there were not suffieient scope for the machinery on construetion work within the Dominion, they sliould be made available for pureliase by farmers and farm contractors and tliat only those machines not bought should be allowed .to go. In asking the Prime Minister to consider intervention, the council resolved that representations should be made t.o the Government to consider whetlffir the welfare of New Zealand and the need to make every effort ■ to nieet obligations to Great Britain, would not justify that eourse. -.