MINISTERS HOPEFUL.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 302, 21 December 1937, Page 10

MINISTERS HOPEFUL.

N.Z. AND AUSTRALIA. GREATER CO-OPERATION. (By Telegraph.—J'rpss Association.) W ELL INOTON. M. >nda v. The view that New Zealand, in its present trade negotiations with the Australian trade delegation in Wellington, would succeed far in advance of its original objective, was expressed by the Minister of Customs, the Hon. W. Nash, at the State luncheon tendered to the delegation, which is headed by the Hon. T. W. White, at Parliament Rtiildings to-day. 1 Mr. Nash referred to the desire of the f-oveminent to develop secondary industries as well as primary industries, and immediate steps in that direction were the present negotiations to see how far they could achieve that end. "T believe we can succeed," said Mr. Nash. He emphasised the importance of removing tariff barriers between the English-speaking countries, and referred to the present steps being taken in the ( nited States and the United Kingdom in that direction. "We want so to organise our country that certain commodities be made bv our people to the maximum extent, and so entail fewer commodities coming from Australia to compete with what we are making here," said Mr. Nash. Air. White, in reply, referred to national defence and said nobody would believe that New Zealand was free from attack in these days. That alone was one reason for greater co-operation between New Zealand and Australia, and it might be that Australia and New Zealand would be left a great deal together in that respect.

He said he was glad to see New Zealand would increase her,secondary industries. Australia realised long ago that if the country was to be only Agricultural it could not maintain its population. He suggested there should be greater collaboration between Australia and New Zealand in industrial" development.