The Dominion. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 1919. AN IMPORTANT MISSION

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 306, 22 September 1919, Page 4

The Dominion. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 1919. AN IMPORTANT MISSION

The representatives of New Zealand primary producers who have lately been sitting in conference in Wellington had no more important question before them than that of the best means of arranging the i earliest possible return to normal conditions of export trade. The interests at stake are, of course, not only those of farmers and export firms. Such conditions hampering the natural flow of trade as exist, most conspicuously, in the ■ ease of frozen meat export, are of serious concern to the whole country. As y>o .Prime Minister observed tho bther clay, the money obtained for primary produce exports during the war period filtered down through every section of the community, kept the country prosperous, and enabled it to meet its obligations. Assured returns from the. same source are as essential as ever to maintain the prosperity of the Dominion and enable it to meet the demands of what it is hoped will be a period of rapid development and expansion. In a very definite sense, therefore, national issues' were raised in the recent discussion by primary producers of the export trade outlook. As' regards the frozen meat trade, in which there arc exceptional difficulties to ' be overcome, an important outcome of thedeliberations of the producers is their acceptance of the proposal that a commission should proceed to England to carry out. investications and make representations to the Imperial Government concerning the New Zealand meat trade.- Now that it has' been approved by both the Dominion Conference of tho Farmers Union and the Sheepowners' Federation, the appointment of the commission is assured,-and the aim of all .concerned should be to invest it with the greatest possible authority. This is a ma.tter in which the Government ought to co-operate to •n 1 extent. The commission y-ill have every right to claim that it authoritatively represents the primary producers of the Dominion. It ought, in addition, to be given official standing in order that its representations may carry all possible weight with the Imperial authorities. This should not be difficult, since the Government has already endorsed the idea of sending the'commission to England, and is invited to appoint one of its members. If,.as is expected, the Government appoints Dr. Re'akes, the confidence of farmers and the public in the ability of the commission to accomplish useful results will be strengthened.' ■ - Just what the commission will be able to accomplish is a somewhat open question at- the moment, but it is undoubtedly desirable, in view of the general state of uneasiness arid uncertainty prevailing, that producers" should get into direct touch, through their own representatives; with the Conditions bearing on the meat trade in our chief overseas market. When the commission has reported producers should be in a position to decide with more confidence than at present as to the advisability or otherwise of seeking an- extension of the commandeer—a question on which at the moment they seem to have as a- body no vec;v decided opinion. The attitude of the Farmers' Union is defined in the last clause of its resolution approving the appointment of the commit sion:. "As a last resource, and failing other remedies, arrangements should'be made for the continuation of the commandeer." The Sheep--owners' Federation, on the other hand, lias approved the extension \Of the. commandeer \for twelve months (to .Tune 30, 1921) on the best terms available, subject to tho'lmperial Government 'liftini? all its rurchases from stores in New Zealand, not later than December 31, It is obvious that if this condition in regard to the_ clearance of the stores of the Dominion can be secured, and assuming that arrangements otherwise reasonable can be made in regard to the disposal of meat in Great Britain there win be strong,_ though not of necessity _ (jponelusivc, arguments for extending the commandeer. The attitude of producers who doubt the wisdom of this step is no doubt governed by a desire to recover noimal conditions of trade in which there will no longei' be any question of pooling New Zealand meat on the British market with higher-priced, but inferior, American meat, in order that both may be sold at a common price. It already seems likely, however, that the speediest return to normal trading conditions would bo made under an arrangement with the Imperial Government providing for the clearance of the stores of the Dominion within a limited period. Unsatisfactory air it is in uthef respects, the existing state of affairs is redeemed by the fact that farmers receive a prompt return for their output, and that the Imperial Government is paying all storage charges. If the, commandeer were terminated with the stores still congested, the Imperial Government might concentrate shipning on removing its purchases be : fore space was allotted to meat newly frozen. Producers would thus find themselves still hampered by ur.rini"? restrictions on oxnort. The, item of storage charges in itself would militate heavily against the ready and profitable disposal of stock. With such considerations in mind it is not-difficult to understand whv the Prime Minister, in addressing the Farmers' Union Conference on Friday morning, gave it as his personal opinion that the safe course would be to ask the Imperial Gov-

I eminent to take the meat for another year. Admittedly the conditions under which New Zealand meat is at present being marketed in Britain are, extremely unsatisfactory, but the shipping shortage, and the prior claim the Imperial authorities have established to what refrigerated space is available, are factors which cannot be ignored. There' is in any case scope for useful work by'the com miss ion which is to go to England, and the right course manifestly is to dispatch it promptly, with the bust credentials the Dominion can furnish. If there is any alternative to be preferred o;i practical grounds t,o the extension of the commandeer, the commission should bC able to point it out. Should no such alternative be available, it will remain to indicate ti the Imperial authorities the readiest and most effective means of removing the disabilities now imposed on the New Zealand meat export trade. The nraetiee of pooling New Zealand and ■American meat seems on the face of it to justify a very strong protest. The. Imperial Government cannot, of course, deal with this and other questions with regard only to New Zealand trading interests. but it ought to be and no doubt is very roadv to co-onerate in promoting Imperial trade on sound and on a basis of justice tn all concerned. Much is, therefore, to be hoped from the Tir/ictical suggestions and representations the commission may be able to inake with a view to the amendment of existing conditions. Put in am 1 "Vent, the nrjni.-u-v producers will I'.ive the satisfaction of knowing that f-heir own chosen representatives have been affonlocl the onnor'nvij'f" of inveftisTP.i-inrr t]|ri position for tlvniise'vp", ;i n 'l the information s° sal Wed should serve ns a valuable guide to future action.