FOREIGN MARKETS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 10 March 1939, Page 4

FOREIGN MARKETS

ADVOCACY OF EMPIRE BARGAINING. MR A. P. O’SHEA'S PROPOSALS. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WAIPUKURAU, March 9. Collective bargaining by using the power of the whole Empire to force open outside markets was advocated by Mr A. P. O'Shea. Dominion secretary of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union, speaking at a field day at Arlington Station, Waipukurau, today. “It is quite a new idea, but, I feel, a sound one,” he said. “The only way to open markets lies in utilising the combined bargaining power of our Empire as a whole. We must realise that we have not an ever-expanding market within the Empire, but by the means 1 have outlined we can expand into other markets. This will make the British Minister of Agriculture sales manager for Empire products.” Mr O’Shea stressed the need for one big union, with a sheep board at the head of sheep interests and the Dairy Board to control dairying, the whole thing to be financed by a levy on produce. He envisaged a world-wide organisation ultimately, like the International Labour Organisation, for there was need, first for a strong farming body, in New Zealand, secondly in the Empire, and thirdly in the world. “We must organise our markets and produce,” he said. “The British Government has made it plain that it wants every Empire country to regulate its produce, like. New Zealand is doing, with boards similar to our Meat Board in Britain.” Explaining his ideas in an interview after his address, Mr O’Shea pointed out that the only alternative to the present Government in Britain was a Labour Government, and Labour had said it was determined to deal with imports only by import boards. “We have seen how satisfactory this is by the present import restrictions scheme in this country,” he said. “That should be a lesson to us that the other idea is preferable.” Several hundred farmers from all over Central Hawke’s Bay attended the field day, which was opened by the Leader of the Opposition, the Hon A. Hamilton.