POWER TO ACT.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 104, 4 May 1936, Page 10

POWER TO ACT.

MINISTER IN LONDON. PENDING NEGOTIATIONS. SEEING PROBLEM THROUGH. (By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, this day. New Zealand's representation at the coining negotiations in London relating to freight contracts and trade agreements was the subject of a statement to tlie " Star" correspondent by the Prime Minister, lit. Hon. M. J. Savage, who discussed the necessity of a responsible Minister remaining in London for ail appreciable period, rather than making a visit to carry out negotiations as quickly as possible. Regarding the freight cpntracts for the Carriage of New Zealand's refrigerated produce, including butter, cheese, meat and fruit, involving over £1,000.000 annually, Mr. Savage stated that New Zealand's case would bo dealt with at the conference with the overseas shipowners this month by the High Commissioner, Sir James Parr, Dr. Campbell (economic adviser), Mr. pavis, London manager of the Dail'y Bdard, Mr. Begg, a member of the Meat Board now oil his way to London, and Mr. Forsyth, London unahager of the Meat Producers' Board.

Reminded of the coming termination of the trade agreefneht between Britain and Denmark and the subsequent negotiations this year following the termination of the agreement between lJritain and the Argentines the Prime Minister remarked that New Zealand was of course vitally interested in these matters, though he could not see where much could be done until the representatives of all parts of the Empire met together in London, and the probability was that the Imperial Conference would handle tlnsse questions. The date had been mentioned as ■ being prior to the coronation, »but nothing had been definitely decided.

"My own feetihg on these' important matters," continued the Prime Minister, "is that just a flyiiig shot at them by a Minister going Home to Britain for a few weeks is not enough. That will probably happen again—and I am not criticising what has been done in the past —but I hope it will lead to something more adequate in the way of some Minister being able to remain in Britain for a period just as long as the problem remains. Problems are growing all the time and the British Commonwealth has either got to hang together or hang separately, so that it seems to me we must give our representatives a reasonable time to get down to realities 011 the spot. We must have someone on the spot with authority to say, 'That i 3 the position and that is wiiat we will do.' I tlo not wish to see a representative without power alid whelx an indication was given that one of the British Ministers Would visit the Dominion I m§ide the suggestion that he should cothe with authority. So lam hoping that after the coining Imperial Conference we will be able to agree to keep representatives in Britain as long as the problem remains, and if we can proceed on those lines we will bo capable of doing big things.''