TRIBUTE TO MR NASH

Waikato Times, Volume 121, Issue 20276, 19 August 1937, Page 10

TRIBUTE TO MR NASH

“COURAGE AND SAGACITY.” SALE OF DAIRY PRODUCE. IMPROVED MARKETING SYSTEM. ® The Minister of Finance and of Marj keting, the Hon. Walter Nash, was to 1 1 be congratulated for his courage and ' sagacity in adopting a proved plan for ’•supervision ajid control of the sale of j dairy produce throughout Great ~j Britain, stated Mr W. Goodfellow, 1 j chairman of Amalgamated Dairies, Limited, and advisory director of the New Zealand Co-operative Dairy Com- ! pany, when speaking at the smoke L i concert of dairy company committee--men in Hamilton last evening. This '• action had already increased marketm ing efficiency and had eliminated many ” 5 of the objectionable weaknesses of the old system, considered Mr Goodc follow. Tiie change had been brought about without friction or hardship. L Mr Goodfellow reviewed the efforts r made since January, 1922, by the - New Zealand Dairy Company, the •f! Dairy Control Board and Amalgamated n j Dairies, to bring about improved mars j keting in the United Kingdom. Tt o had, he stated, remained for the pren sent Government to succeed where - others had failed in this objective. -1 He pointed out, however, that bulk purchase was not essential to efllci- - ent marketing. Imposition of Levy. n . Referring to the statement pub--5 . lished in the press on August 16, regarding tiie possible imposition of a ° I imported into the United Kingdom , j fell below 100 s and 56s respectively. [ s i Mr Goodfellow' said that the question 3 1 of a levy would thus be postponed 8 | for three or four months, but if the •■[original 10 per cent import duty were n j imposed, the cost to the producers e and the country generally would be £2,000.000 per annum. He pointed out that three years ago the British Government would have welcomed a bi-lateral agreement with New Zeals landjj Quite recently Canada had suciQ ceeded in negotiating an agreement, Q but had found it necessary to make )t substantial tariff reduction's in favc our of British goods; nevertheless, she had secured an agreement where-' by very substantial quantities of hams, bacon, wheat, limber and other commodities would lie admitted to tiie j United Kingdom market. He bad no [ coubt tli at Mr Nash had done his uter I most to secure for New Zealand a j j trade agreement, but the matter was l -|of such vital importance fo the dairv 6 farmers that he felt justified in ask--31 inb why Mr Nash haid failed when 1 Canada had succeeded? dj It was true, possibly, that the time l was not opportune, the European e situation was extremely difficult and n | dangerous, and that (he British Govs i eminent were in consequence most “! anxious to retain the friendship of Hie L | United States. Further, an effort was nj being made to re-establish inlernas [ tional trade to provide increasing e.\l.j port business after Ihe armament programme had been completed. An e examination of New Zealand's trade - would probably furnish part of (he e j answer. During 1936 New Zealand d had an adverse trade balance with d Australia, Canada and the United -[States, amounting to £7,500,000. e o 1 Dominion’s Purchases. f] According to ilic 'Board of Trade, J l l New Zealand purchased British goods ( ; I to the value of £17.000,000, and sold goods lo the United Kingdom to Ihe value of £43,000,000, continued Mr Goodfellow. Australian manufacturers had Hie advantage of exchange L parity with New Zealand, whereas Hie British manufacturer was penalised to the extent of 25 per cent. n I Further, Australia had kept, down d; costs, and was now in a position to i undersell ihe New Zealand manufacd | tiircr—resulting in shiploads of goods s j coming into New Zealand, the bulk ot .i'which could have been diverted to the v United Kingdom. _j These tilings, said Mr Goodfellow, ’ Bill not 1 'iiss unnoticed l. y n 3O nritv j ish manufacturer, t The Federation of British Industries _ was a very live body, and worked r ; closely \vith ilic Brilisli c.nvemment . i ui rep,ml lo oil Ir.olo m.,!!,■••.. Ma ! lionillYllnxv pointed out, furilicr, tli.it | \ustrali;t, i; wool , 00l the 1 nil.nl t stf,lf Y W in red lily New Xe.-ilnnd's f "'ii™ eompolilors in the British niarhot: also Hint Now Zealand was in a I ' ory area I, posit lon coni pa red wi! h () i any olhor daily produce export conn- „ 1 1 '■"Old eontoiniplinn nr farm pm- , i duels in New Zealand ano. lulled |o I rally Id lo ir, per cent ; whereas in N'lulr.ili.i ho p.-r cent ami in i oiad i -ii ~ j per rent of lire produce was consumed !in Ihe rnuntry. These fiaores snre!v ' emphasise' Ihe M eeiN n| |,ee| - , I hira down eosls and dome reonihimr ■ 111 New Zealand's power In diwelnp reciprocal Ira do. wild its nolv Chi customer. Din I'nihal Kinwhon,