TRADE RECIPROCITY.

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14600, 26 February 1913, Page 11

TRADE RECIPROCITY.

CONFERENCES IN MELBOURNE. \ (press association te-lf.gr iv.) I / AUCKLAND. February'2s. j Negotiations toward more cordial com- j mercial relations among tho oversea j Dominions have been proceeding by cor- ■ respondonce for somo months. They j will be the subject of two important j conferences in Melbourne next month, i which will be attended by rcpresenta- j tives of Canada. Australia, and NewZealand. Inter-trade relations havo been discussed- among these three countries and also South Africa: It was hoped that the Union Government would bo represented at the'fmtheoming conference, but apparently the political crisis which has arisen, owing to sharp difference between General Hp.rtzoy and General.Bpfcha, ha.s made it <li_-ic-i.lt for any members of tho Union Government to visit Australia. ! Tho delegate.; to tin* conferenco will be the Hon. G. E. Foster, Minister fur Trade and Customs in the Canadian Government; the Hon. Andrew Fisher, Prime Minister of Australia, and tho Hon.* F. M. TJ. Fisher, Minister for Customs in tho New Zealand Government. Mr Fisher will leave New Zealand for Melbourne on March 24th. One conference will bo between Australia and New Zealand. Its purport is primarily to achieve trado reciprocity between the two countries. Questions regarding the pensions systems of Australia and New Zealand will also be discussed, with a view to effecting some reciprocal arrangement. Discussing the larger conference today, Mr Fisher said that it had been arranged at the suggestion of the New Zealand Government. It was unfortunate that no representative of South Africa would be present, but the four Governments had all expressed hopes that the conference would be successful in drawing overset Dominions into j closer trade relationships. Questions I relating to the tariffs ot the four countries and interchange of goods would be the orincipal matters for consideration. "Thero is one important matter which I hope will be discussed," said Mr Fisher, "and that is the fact that a _reat difficulty is experienced by many New Zealand shippers in obtaining space in vessels of the Vancouver service. The Union Steam Shi_> Company at present holds the key of the position. For a long time the New Zealand Government has been subsidising the service, but tho bulk of curiro space has been filled with Australian produce, though the Commonwealth Government makes no contribution towards the maintenance of the- service. I think it is about time we took care in New Zealand that while our subsidy is continued a fair share of the available space should be secured for New Zealand shipments.-Without regular access to space it is practically impossible to build up permanent trade between the two Dominions."