MEAT QUOTAS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 6 March 1939, Page 7

MEAT QUOTAS

MR COATES’S CRITICISM OF MR NASH ■ i SAYS EXPANDING MARKET HAS BEEN LOST. EFFECT OF THE LATEST RESTRICTIONS. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, March 5. “As understood in the language of fishermen I have at least been successful in securing an early rise,” said the Rt Hon J. G. Coates, M.P., in .commenting on the reply made by the Minister of Marketing, the Hon W. Nash, to his statement regarding the meat re-, strictions, “but in perusing Mr Nash’s statement it appears that Mr Nash is arguing on the basis, of shouting ‘Garri, you’re another.’ “It is well known that I caused the depression,” Mr Coates said, “but now Mr Nash wishes to hail me as the inventor of quotas. Let Mi - Nash or anyone else read the pamphlet referred to and try to make himself believe that I introduced quotas. I think I have made it clear already that between 1931 and 1935 we had to face difficulties in the way of meat restriction proposals just as difficult as anything that Mr Nash has encountered, but I repeat that during that period our exports of mutton and lamb to the United Kingdom were never restricted. We worked to allocations certainly, but they were always roomy enough to give us hope of expansion. “As for the mutton and lamb allocation, in the first full .year following. Ottawa it was definitely 4,000,000 cwt. r have stated that the arrangement was subsequently varied, but that figure was always considered in subsequent negotiations. Mr Nash has now submitted tamely to a reduction mandator - ily made of 500,000 cwt. “In all the quota discussions with which I was personally concerned the case of the New Zealand Government was based on regulation, not restriction. It must be recognised that the regulation of all. meat supplies in necessary to maintain the position of mutton and lamb, in which we have such a dominant interest. ‘•The plain fact of the matter,” Mr Coates added, “is that Mr Nash, has lost the expanding share of the British market for which wb struggled so hard. Apparently he has been so busy with his plans for social security and import restrictions that he has not considered the meat position to.be sufficiently important for a strong effort on his part. That is the only inference that can be drawn from the facts as they are at present known. “Mr Nash’s speeches when in Opposition concerning the Ottawa and London discussions make interesting reading today. Mr Nash cannot shelter behind his officials, nor can he hide b.e-' hind the meat board. People ’expec' him to explain truthfully what has happened since he took office in all, matters affecting the meat export trade. “It is encouraging to think that on: has at least succeeded in rousing M) Nash from his long silence,” concluded Mr Coates. “All we can do now if to wait for him to give us a detailed account of the manner in which h< fought the restrictions—or accepted them—and full information as to the steps which the Government propose: to take to deliver the meat trade from its present difficulties.”