CONFLICTING VIEWS

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 586, 18 July 1933, Page 5

CONFLICTING VIEWS

THE IMPORTERS' OPINION Wellington, Monday. Mr. Edwin Salmond, president of the New Zealand Importers' Federation in a statement to-day, resumes the exchange controversy: — He says: — "The Farmers' Union is apparently forcing itself to believe that our tariff is accountable for Britain's threatened action to ration our exports. There is ahsolutely no evidence of this. It is apparent from the London cables that it is the English farming community which is putting pressure on the British Government. It is absurd to argue that the British farmers are concerned over our tariif, which, after all, does not concern them, and is entirely a matter for the British manufacturer. "On the other hand, the English farmers bitterly resent New Zealand's action in inflating the exchange, which enables our dairy farmers to dump our butter and cheese on the United Kingdom market under the protection of the 25 per cent." Mr. Salmond proceeds to dea! with Ihe Farmers' Union statement, which he says endeavours to prove that the 25 per cent is not an artificial rate. "If the farmers are honest in their j.elief that the 25 per cent, is a natural rate, we challenge them," says Mr. Salmond, "to request the Govt. io release control and see if the exchange will automatically remain at the present figure. If they are wrong iho rate will re-adjust itself to its proper level, that will no longer unfairly pe.nalise the community, and Ihe fallacy of the farmers' propaganda will be fully revealed."