WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 1 February 1928, Page 4

WELLINGTON TOPICS

PORK EXPORT. ASSISTAXCE TO PRODUCERS. (Special to “ Guardian.”) WELLINGTON, Jan. lit). Tho Government's ultimate decision in regard to the pork export subsidy is to refund to exporters one halfpenny per pound weight on the overseas freight on all pies weighing from (iGII) to 1801 b killed for export to Great Britain between February 1 and October .'ll next. The Hon. (). J. Hawken, the Minister.of Agriculture, in announcing liis decision, stated that the Government had given a great deal of thought to the matter, and had much desired “ that the producer should ac tually receive the bonus direct," but had found on investigation that any scheme of that kind " would involve a complicated method of administration and expense, which would not be warranted.’,’ In his official announcement of forty or fifty lines the Minister provides tli'ce different definitions of the destination to which the subsid'sed pun: may he consigned. First he |re • claims that it is to be “ exported to Great Rritain,” then that it must he " exported to the Tinted Kingdom ’’ and finally that it must he “exported to Europe.” This, however, is a small matter. Great Britain, United Kingdom and Europe may he alternative terms in the official vocabulary for tno same place, and probably when the regulations are available it will he found that so long as the pork is shipped out of the country it will he entitled to the subsidy. THE SUBSIDY.

The same regulations, no doubt, will make the Government’s intentions in some respects a little plainer than they are at present. “ Payments,” Mr Hnwken explains, “ will ho made to exporters after receipt of monthly 1 claims showing the number of pigs ex ported and the weight, each claim to be supported by a statutory declaration that all the pigs covered by it were I slaughtered not earlier than February 1. 1928. were exported to Europe and 1 were within the weights specified.” It seems plain enough from these stipulations that the farmers and co-operative concerns that started out to help themselves after the Prime Minister line definitely refused to grant any subsidy are to lie excluded from the Government's bounty. It appears . that they would have been much better off had they joined in tho clamour for State assistance instead of practising the virtues of self-reliance and private enterprise. As for the distribution of tho subsidy, it may lie that the -Minister’s inability to devise a workable scheme by which the producer “ would receive the bonus direct ” will commit a fairly large slice of the £30,000 to the exporters, who, it is only fair to sav. had not expected at any stage of the proceedings such a windfall from the negotiations between the producers and the Government, it will he easier to follow the scheme, however, when the regulations have been gazetted.

A G S'lß ALT A AND NEW ZEALAND. .Mr D. J. McGowan, the president of the Associated Chambers of Commerce, a very live business man. in the course of conversation to-day, expressed himself as much gratified at the prospect of a meeting shortly between the Hon. H. E. Pratten, the Australian Minister of Trade and Commerce, and the Hon. AY. Downie Stewart, the New Zealand Minister of Trade and Commerce. The reciprocal spirit between the Commonwealth and the Dominion, which was of first importance to both of them, he said, appeared to have got somewhat out of joint during the last year or so and to be verging into a spirit of retaliation. This was deplorable from every point of view—perkoiis!, seeli'i; cpimncrclal and political

—and unless tho tendency were stayed it would become a national calamity on both sides. Unless trade flowed freely across the Tasman Sea, which was the highway between them, tho two countries would drift further and further apart until they became permanently estranged. Air McGowan would not presume to suggest as to how the two Ministers should sot about their negotiations, but he was satisfied that both the people of New Zealand and the people of Australia would cordially approve of any reasonable effort to adjust their present difficulties.

' AN OPPORTUNE VISIT. Under tiiis beading the “Dominion ” welcomes the approaching visit of the Commonwealth Minister. “The cultivation of friendly relations with our Imperial kinsmen on the other side of the Tasman,” it says, “ should form part of a continuous policy. Personal contacts on an official basis might profitably be made more frequent. Under such a policy there would be less danger of misunderstandings and grievances developing into serious irritation. Erom this point of view it may be hoped that Air Pratten’s visit will produce ultimately something beyond the settlement of this immediate question of primary exports. The principle of Imperial consultation and communication envisaged the organisation ofintcrDominion links and the Mother Country, and no doubt anticipated just such difficulties between the Dominions as has now developed between Australia and ourselves. It is a question for earnest consideration.’' The main difficulty in the way is. ol coui'se. tiie anxiety of both the Commonwealth and the Dominion to protect their own industries. secondary as well as primary. 'lbis is being illustrated just now by the exchange, of opinions between the two Ministers in regard to their duties on dairy produce. I nless both of them are authorised to make concessions iu the spirit suggested by Mr .McGowan their progress towards an agreement innv he slow.