A LEVY ON DAIRY PRODUCTS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 181, 18 August 1937, Page 4

A LEVY ON DAIRY PRODUCTS

A sbort 6upplemeutj published yesterdey, to the report of the Hon. w. Nash's Saturday addresa at Auckland, ehowcd that he was really faced with tho possibility of the British Government reviving its proposal for imposing a levy, or import duty, on the produce of the oversea doininions, but this time with regard to dairy product3 only. It is the British dairymen, not, as in 1935, the meat-growers, who are calling for assistance that may have to take the form oi) a subsidy provided, in part at any rate, by a duty levied on butter and cheese imported from the oversea dominious. In opposing this proposal tlie present Minister took up the same stand as did Mr Coates two years or more ago with regard to meat, but not with the same definite suecess. The most that has been conceded to him is an interim promise that no duty will be levied on New Zealand dairy products so longj as the market prices do not fali below certain specified levels. This may, so far as it goes, be all right while current selling values **0 maintained, but, going by past experience, there can be no lasting prospect oi this. It has, moreover, to be noted that, under this purely temporary under•taking, the levy will apply at times when least the industry will be in a position to stand it, that is, when prices fall below renumerative levels. The present Minister will perhaps be now inclined to reoogtnise the seriousness of the difficulties which his predeccssor in office had to overcome and possibly, though this can hardly be expected} to give him some puhlic credlt for successfully surmounting them. , /' m 1 11 — — s t \