§ 63. Major Legge-Bourkeasked the Minister of Agriculture what consultations were held with his Department before the present agreement with Holland regarding onion imports was signed; 78W what was the attitude of his Department; and what steps he is now taking and intends taking to safeguard the home grower.
§ Mr. T. WilliamsMy Department was associated with the negotiations which led up to the Anglo-Dutch Trade Agreement last year. Under the terms of this agreement, which was entered into in February, an embargo on onion imports was imposed for a period then estimated to be sufficient for the marketing of the bulk of the home crop. The difficulty was the abnormally large home crop which could not all find a market during the period of the embargo.