IS PREMIER BLAMSLESS

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 16, 11 September 1931, Page 4

IS PREMIER BLAMSLESS

FAIR PLAY.

Sir,— r In the light of your leading article in this morning's "Post" I wonder whether the attached letter from an Auckland newspaper has met your eye? It seems to me that, in arranging trade reciprocities, tact and diplomacy are the supreme factors. Is the letter true in fact and substance? If so, ean we entirely exonei'ate our Prime Minister from blame in the failure to arrange a satisfactory agreement? The letter is as follows: "Regrets that the valuable market of Canada for our dairy produce has been lost, and says the blame rests on Mr. Bennett, of Canada, and that "t is unfair to fix it on Mr. Forbes. ' I fear that he, in his attempt to whitewash the New Zealand Prime Minisrter, chooses to forget plain facts. He ought to lcnow that Mr. Forhes • got 'huffy' in London at some remarlcs made to him by Mr. Stevens, Canada's Minister of Commerce, when. both were at the Imperial Conferenee, and' he declined to return by Canada, or to make any further attempt to get a trade treaty. His attitude was aptly expressed by himself when he said: 'I will not crawl for trade orders.' He preferred a pleasant tourist trip home hy Suez and India, rather than bother with business in cold Canada. But what did Mr. Parker Moloney, Minister of Markets for Australia, do? Contrast his attitude with that of Mr. Forbes. Mr. Moloney was also at the Imperial Conferenee. He returned from London by Canada with Mr. Bennett and stayed a fortnight at Ottawa, and he 'crawled fcr trade orders' (to use Mr. Forbes' unworthy phrase) so successfully that a trade agreement was made between Australia and Canada, under which both countries greatly benefit. Why could not Mr. Forbes have done this? Canada has fixed her duty on Australian butter at nearly one-half of t'ne duty against New Zealand produce, which means, according to a leading Australian butter exporter the other day, that Australia will send her butter to Canada in the Canadian eight months of winter, and tlyus take a good part of the cheque for £2,740,000, which Canada paid New Zealand in 1928 for butter, an-J which we have lost through the misraanagemenf of. an incom}ietcnt Fr'me Minister; The latest Canadian newspapers admit that in their winter months Australia, at the present duty, can get her butter into the Western Provinces. Let our farmers take note." — I am, etc.