MEAT EXPORT

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 255, 22 July 1921, Page 6

MEAT EXPORT

ARMOUR AND CO.’S CLAIMj

PROGRESS OF THE CONTROVERSY QUESTION OF PROCEDURE The discussion concerning the refusal of the New Zealland Government to issue a meat export license to Armour and Company of Australasia has not readied any new stage. Sir Frauds Bel! stated yesterday that ho had asked the American Consul-General if there wits any objection to the publication of the recent correspondence on tho subject between the Consul-General and the Government. He saw- no reason why all the facts should not be made public. The Acting-Prime Minister had no comment to make upon the cabled remarks of Mr. P. D. Armour, one of the heads of Armour and Company of Chicago. Mr. Armour is reported to have said that his firm was "anxious to enlarge New Zealand markets.” It has been pointed out in reply to this statement that the New Zealand Government has already expressed willingness to let the American firm export meat from New Zealand to the United States, provided guarantees are given that the meat will not lie re-exported to Britain. But the Government will not agree to let Armour and Company export Now Zealand meat to Txmdon, where tho interests of the Dominion producers have already been affected prejudicially by the sale of New Zealand meat jsent originally to the United States, and then shipped on to England. The granting of permission to Americans to handle meat between New Zealand and Britain would not give any enlargement, of markets.

Another remark attributed to Mr. Armour is as follows:

Where are the headquarters of the British Empire? When we approach the British Foreign Office or the Colonial Office we are told thnt New Zealand is a self-governing Dominion. When we approach Now Zealand we findl a complete absence of diplomatic machinery between us. The authorities here do, not believe that tho difficulty suggested by Mr. Armour has any real existence. The Now Zealand Government has followed wellestablished procedure in asking that official communications from Washington to Wellington shall go through London. The Imperial authorities will transmit the communications, and then any replies made by the Now Zealand Government will feo to Washington through the same channel. This arrangement keeps the Imperial Government informed of any discussions that mnv bo proceeding between New Zealand! and a foreign Government, and it is cnnsi’ered to Ire desirable, in view of Tire fact thnt such discussions are unite likely to touch Imperial interests. Canada and Australia have both shown a tendency to <le.nl direct with foreign Governments. The two viewpoints are illustrated by tire . fact that Australia oloofed to take tire New Guinea mandate direct from tho League of Nations, whereas Now Zealand chose to receive tho Samoan rrrendnta through tho King. T’a'-'din" the a.'lnii«tm"nf of Imperial relationships. each Dominion has to make jfc own doa’sions regarding procedure, nnd New Zealand Ministers linve preferred to f.alre a conservative line.