EXPORTS TO BRITAIN

Wairarapa Times-Age, 2 April 1938, Page 8

EXPORTS TO BRITAIN

COMPROMISE SUGGESTED. OPINIONS OF NEW ZEALAND REPRESENTATIVES. SYDNEY, April 1. The trend of discussion at the British Empire Producers' Conference to-rjay again indicated the possibility of the British delegation’s proposals for producercontrol in the regulation of ex-

ports reaching the United Kingdom market forming the basis of

a compromise. Mr. Cleveland Fyfe, one of the British delegates, emphasised that with the rejection of the British proposals there would be no alternative constructive proposal and that under the British plan there was no intention of imposing levies. Mr. T. C. Brash (New Zealand) said he refused to believe that the British Government and the British people were asking them to accept a position under which they were to be led to restrictions or the imposition of levies.

Mr. A. J. Murdoch and Mr. H. Mellsop (New Zealand) were among the speakers. Mr. Mellsop said >he New Zealand Farmers’ Union thirty-eight years ago had fought for the freest trade with the United Kingdom. He added that if restrictions were imposed, then it must be done by the British Government. The British delegation’s proposals in their present form could not be accepted by the New Zealand representatives. The conference was adjourned.

The president of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union, Mr. W. W. Mulholland, interviewed to-night by the New Zealand Press Association, said Sir Reginald' Dorman-Smith’s proposals seemed to most of the Dominion delegates to embody or envisage greater restrictions on Dominion produce.

The British delegates claimed that their object was to get the Empire producers to come together to form an organisation or organisations which would regulate or control the marketing of their produce. The delegates did not doubt the honesty of purpose of their British colleagues, but the resolution -was clearly open to the interpretation that the producers themselves had invited or hand approved quantitative restriction. Mr. Mulholland added that the resolution or suggested amendments had not been put to the conference, neither had they been withdrawn. The debate had ended with an agreement that the leaders of the various delegations would come together in committee to see whether it was possible to reconcile all the views and then evolve satisfactory or positive action.

Mr. Mulholland expressed the opinion that there was no need for any producer to be unduly alarmed as the result of what was happening at the conference. The delegates had agreed that restrictions were out of the question and, so far as New Zealand was concerned, the producers would not allow themselves to be fettered!

COMMENT IN BRITAIN PROBLEM OF GLUTTED MARKETS PROPOSED COMMODITY COUNCILS. (British Official Wireless) RUGBY, March 31. Commenting on the Empire Food Producers’ Conference at Sydney to discuss common problems and difficulties, “The Times,” in a leading article, points out that the farmers’ difficulty has been that, while he can raise foodstuffs abundantly, the only way of disposing of them has been to throw them on easily glutted markets, since those who use them most cannot afford them except at prices unremunerative to the producer. Further restriction of production affords only a temporary solution. Great interest, says “The Times,” is accordingly being taken by the conference in the suggestion made on behalf of the United Kingdom delegation for inaugurating a system of Empire commodity councils on the lines of the Empire Beef Council to collaborate with producers’ representatives from the principal supplying 'countries.

One advantage of such councils is that they would enable the producers to familiarise themselves with conditions both in importing and competing exporting countries. Their success would finally depend on the extent to which they were able to create stable markets rather by facilitating consumption than by restricting supply.