AMERICAN TARIFF

Hokitika Guardian, 16 July 1930, Page 5

AMERICAN TARIFF

INVESTIGATIONS BY MR DAVID JONES.

AUCKLAND, July 14

“I was in the United States when the new tariff was pasesd, and it certainly dealt -a very’/effective blow against the New Zealand meat trade in that country,” said Mr David Jones, chairman of the New Zealand Meat Producers Board, who returned by the Niagara this- -afternoon. ‘‘We were developing a very useful trade ill that country:,*;’; he continued, “but it is Very questionable whether We can climb over that high tariff wall,” . r.

Mr Jones said the, duty had been almost doubled on frozen meat from New Zealand. The previous rat© on lamb was 4 cents per'-lb. It bad been increased to 7 cents. Under the new scale of import ; duties beef and veal had been raised from 3 cents to G cents and mutton from cents to 5 cents.

In answer to a question, Mr Jones said: “I think it is prohibition for lamb. It is not merely a question of the quantity of meat New Zealand sends to the States, because it should be explained that other countries in 1928 sent a hundred million pounds ot tinned and corned meat to those markets. This huge amount was in addition to stock imported from Canada and Mexico. The problem to be considered is, Can the meat from those other countries climb over that tariff barrier as well? If they can’t, then it is quite feasible to suppose that they will go to the British markets, and thus be a serious competitor with New Zealand there. It may be, however, that the United States will still have that meat and be prepared to pay the price. At the present time America has an abundance of meat to supply her own markets, but it should be remembered that the States have imported during the winter months in the past.

“When travelling through the coun' try it appeared to me, judging by the crops, fences and buildings that the American farmer needed all the help ,he can get, and this is why Government finance is keeping him on the land,” said Mr Jones. PREFERENCE 1 FOR BRITAIN. “Some people are still discussing free trade and the markets of the world, as if those markets were still open,” lie continued, “but there is no such thing. Every country—or nearly every country—is erecting barriers against outside trade, and apart from Canada, whose trade relationships are in the melting pot Great Britain is our only country left. When it is remembered that the nation’s prospeiitv almost entirely depends on that ol Great Britain it appears to me that we must take effective steps to see that our trade goes to Britain, and raise the most effective harriers against Miose who have raised barriers against us.” THE BEEF TRADE.

Discussing the American beef trade, Mr Jones said the United States were quite prepared to deal with Now Zealand, but our methods will have to be altered. At present bones constituted about. 20 per cent, of our export beef, and they coulci ’ot afford to pay 3d per lb for bones. After making an investigation lie was going to report to If,he ~New .‘Zealand Meat Producers’ Board suggesting that- the best exportable beef cuts should be boned in the endeavour t oop.en up trade along those lines. “We are the only country shipping frozen meat into the United States,

lie said. “All other countries are debarred on account of diseases in stock. New and quicker methods of Slreezing have 'been discovered, and this opens up production from New Zealand along the lines indicated. There has, however, always been a prejudice in the United States against frozen meat. Because American packers are now selling that class of produce this may break down that prejudice and the New Zealand Board will make inquiry into the question with a view to adopting the practice in future.”