BRITISH GOODS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 9 November 1939, Page 5

BRITISH GOODS

AND NEW ZEALAND EXPORTS QUESTION OF RELATIVE PRICES. COMPENSATING INCREASE SOUGHT. ißy Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON. This Day. A suggestion by the New Zealand Government that in the event of manufactured goods imported from Britain rising in price by If), points the British authorities should review the prices paid fur the Dominion for its exports was revealed by the Minister of Marketing. Mr Nash, in a broadcast address from his office in Parliament Buildings last night. This question, he said, was still under discussion.

"The prices of our exports are important to our farmers, but they are also important to New Zealand because the proceeds of our exports are used to pay for all the goods we import. and if the price of imported goods goes up then New Zealand can buy fewer imports." said Mr Nash. "It was this which was of some concern to the Government, and that is why we suggested in the initial stage of the negotiations that if the price of British manufactured goods which were imported rose by 10 points then the British Government should reconsider the prices we were getting for our exports. “This matter is still being discussed and several cables have gone to the High Commissioner in London, Mr W. J. Jordan, for him to talk over the matter with the British authorities. We have pointed out that New Zealand would be in a very disadvantageous position if we sold exports* at agreed prices, which is being done, and were then compelled to pay abnormally high prices for all imports. We pointed out that the difficulty would be partly overcome if we could be assured of supplies of essential commodities at agreed prices also. This is a matter on which finality is still to be reached.'* 1