OTTAWA REVIEW

Hokitika Guardian, 19 September 1932, Page 3

OTTAWA REVIEW

MR COATES INTERVIEWED BETTER PREFERENCE MARGINS (Per Press Association— Copyright.) WELLINGTON, September 18.. Interviewed' ’ 6h"' His*' arrival to-day from Ottawa, Mr’ Goateg expressed pleasure ait being 'back tome week ß earlier, than anyone , had- been able to hntioipatd. The conference had lasted only four weeks', an unusually short tim 6 for. such. an assembly. 1 Thighad .meant a rush of work/iand 'had allow-, ed little Ire©,,itime, but,;it'was satisfactory to be''back at one’s “dst. Re said: “Now. that' 4 ' Pdrli&fhfint : is ■ meeting in three days’ .tin»/»*l*i am preparing to lay details ;’ ,} of rT (th© 'Ottawa ’'"agreements before the- "House. .I .ex-’ pect that, as soon as ' the A'ddfess-m-Reply is out of the way, w© shall have "ready (in printed form a report of the Conference, and Copies will distributed ito members to enable discussion ,fo take -place sin tlhe .light of full information. Perhaps the best ' way; to. see the measure of success of the Con 7 ference is to call to .mind, how in-,. tense ouir disappointment would have been if: it had failed, or where we would, have stood in regard to New Zealand exports to the United Kingdom if the Conference had not been held.” • :/■ . ’ ” “ r

(‘The position was that “ general customs duty, covering butter, cheese, milk . .products, fruit’ and - other pipducts whidh w©, export’ had. been im- ’ posed by the United Kingdom; temporarily and until the, l“th. of .November -this year. Our :; exports wer©. ©xemipt from that duty, hut, bad it not been (for the Ottawa agreement, that tariff wpuld have fallen on /our export: in |November., .Thanks to.- th e Conferen'ce, they are to remain free/of duty, while competing imports, from/ foreigr countries ; carry 'a tariff . that will give/ ‘New • Zealand substantial; , preference. Then the margin/ of preference ! -hae vbeen increased on many/ -important, •New Zealand products/ The highest riate previons’yj ten. . per. cent., or thereabouts, us .to be granted on oui •butter, chees© and other milk products, •friiit, eggs and honey. This means; a fifty per 'cent.- increase on the. former .margin of preference. Another valuVable and novel feature-of “he agree-, ment is that preferential 'margins are guaranteed to continue in favour of New Zealand for at least five , years. The duties -on competing, . foreign pro-, ducts> • it’ is agreed,, “shall not -dufced -except. with. the consent of /His - Majesty's .Government in -'New- Zealand” ' . t‘A/different method has been adopted for assisting the meat producers of the - Ehipire.. The UnitedKingdom.' undertakes, to regulate• its import', - from. foreign countries of. ail -meat. -,Jn- ; ihidipg ‘bacon and pig meats, /beef., mutton-' and lamb. / Tbeeq ArO to .be restricted to an extent ii'/set put,; ih / bhek. ;arid v.white inihe agreement - : abd The’ two-fold-/purpose ,is to “1“* -th e prices to a;remujiaratiye level:lg!rid ; fb increase ’the - /Dominions’ .share dm ‘the meat market, of the United /Kinu- - 'dom. To-day the Dominions. ' supply, 'Only '24 per cent, of th©'United- King•’do'm’is meat imports.: Foreign sources “supply T 6 per cent, of Britain's, meat.. That ie a position which can and will >‘b e ; . improved. Furthermore th fe meat’ markets of- the 'United Kingdom, partidularly in the past year or two, have been flooded with imports of bacon and other meats, .whibh have been shutout of 'the Continental market-S-Thi-led-to a--disastrous price collapse, • and■to a waste of supplies-beyond-rnnything-the market could absorb; ' - In short, ,'the ulea,t position was on e which ■no tariff -could correct, 'in any case,- as fai as meat was concernetl. -It was- made perfectly clear to the' Dominions at Ottawa that tlhe British Governineht ' cduld not fat the present time ’ contemplate any tariff on meat. Reports to’ the contrary, statements to the effect’ that the Dominions rejected an offer oi ; k'.’-teriff'-«fad4«#!ted-:ih‘6tfea'd'' on ‘the regulation Of th© quantifiies of the meat 'irriports while'The: ■ British / Minis/: ters Opposed this pfev are- utterly ' : ffilsr and niisleadingi This : is -cSrie ’ <>f 5 tiie misunderstandings that have' been con-veyed‘-to tlhe people in New Zealand. The • bet-Ween New Zealand arid ' Great Britain- 'on the subject of meat is--'set out in a letter Which 1 addre-soil ’.to Mt Baldwin. This letter/ except for ia few seutence-s. (which niust remain oonflderitial;' pending certfiin negotiations with . foreign countries), I shall release at" an' early date.” "“/

' i “It miist be Expected, aiid 'everj ■reasonable iperson: will' agree l ! -tha’,t New Zealand, 1 for' 'lifer 'part, 1 should extend" some reciprocal advantages to Britain. iCertain ' changes on " : the Customs' schedule jhage been lagreed to, : and these .will 'be brought' before (Parliament during the" session. They cannot, pf course, be discltised in advance',' biii T'iam confident House an<f the ftiutitry will Itj©' when the l’st is made known. Wn -have agreed "/so ’to ’removb the prithage duty "on Unit’d Kingdom goods, when ‘financial- conditions the surtax from the United ' Kihgdbm «"X)ds at btice. ' •o-.,.'-w- ;•' 1 The' Agreement provides that the existing margin's of preference ih fhv...tr ,nf n,vtain up to 20 per cent, will bfc retained. ;"/.V • * ' “We agree that „ tlie * protection tff our' local industries;' will indt'excei?d: the level reqdired '-ito safeguard economical, efficient production; By po' m'eans all of the value of Ottawa- can' be' measured in' 'th 6 terms of tariff preferences -d 'customs schedules.- Tibc Confer--o'tco covered a; far .-wider - field..’;' thtfn thnt,;. The raising of-the level df ,ntir •■ ••'res was recognised , as a. matter ■i]i:4 importance, ' No. matter:"what ;jdo '?• i i ■?f vi": * .-i • u,.',W. •