PUBLIC SPENDING

Waikato Times, Volume 124, Issue 20731, 15 February 1939, Page 8

PUBLIC SPENDING

NEED FOR REDUCTION TRADE RESTRICTIONS DISCUSSED BARTER SYSTEM PROPOSED (Special to Times) PALMERSTON NORTH, Tuesday The Government’s import restriction measures were discussed at a meeting of the Wellington provincial executive of the Farmers' Union at Marton today. Mr D. C». Gordon drew attention to a recent cablegram from England announcing that the British Minister of Agriculture, Sir Reginald DormanSmith, was going to enforce restrictions on meat imports from the Dominions. The position in New Zealand was serious and some effort should be made to seek out a market on the Continent for our lowest-priced meat, namely, ewe mutton. It was decided to recommend to the Dominion executive of the union that it go into the possibilities of trading some of our cheaper meat on the Continent on the barter system for potash manures. The following resolution was also carried:—“That, while we recognise some trade restrictions may be necessary owing to the economic position of the country brought about by the policy of the Government, we affirm our conviction that our economic salvation does not lie in the present policy of the Government, and we believe that curtailment of public expenditure is necessary to rehabilitate the Dominion's financial position.” The president, Mr L. Hammond, said there was something to be said in favour of the Government taking steps to get out of the mess it had got into, but the procedure adopted was open to question. If the British Board of Trade was unsuccessful in getting some satisfaction for those people who had hundreds of thousands of pounds invested in the Dominion, then it was going to affect the primary producers very materially. It would mean the breaking of the Ottawa agreement, which would have far-reaching consequences in relation to our export trade to Britain.