NEW ZEALAND AND AUSTRALIA'S INTERDEPENDENCE.

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 20756, 17 January 1933, Page 12

NEW ZEALAND AND AUSTRALIA'S INTERDEPENDENCE.

i j'< Sir.—The recent interview with Mr i, J looiaf Buxton about embargoes on \ '. uit and potatoes between Australia I • d New Zealand was extremely inter- ',"' ting and recalled incidents during my * jonra ia Sydney three years ago. $| J its toe* were then selling at £23 a '■it j , e n and a number of street petitions IS I .'to being signed by the citizens ask- '* '■ •: z for the entry of New Zealand •- * • rtfitoes. It struck me then how "'iiculous it was that we as neighbours ', odd act like peevish children. New Zealand and Australia need each - ber's help in a very definite way. Both * ' .uutries are dangerously under popu- ** ted; both countries depend upon the ' ; otection of Great Britain without '■ anting to pay for that protection; both , untriesjhave, great unused seaboards; * ' ith countries are well supplied with mn-rous pettifogging squealers who ivp more noise than sense; both council have "slobbered" farmers with v ' *n«n« that has led to their undoing; . >th countries would spend their grandnldren"s heritage to put a railway into '• "•« Xever-Never. We are brothers in ' " «»3d and we are loaded with the same * * upidities, yet geography determines .if we must stick to each other, what<T our affection for the Mother Counr is. and 1 do not wish to belittle it. -, - V should stand shoulder to shoulder -, ith Australia and help her in every ' /-» * tr we can, because our future is mparablv bound up with hers. ** W« thould institute special clearing - **.. -.um-s wherebv the trade of each couu- " -r muftt balance. If goods and services iv for goods and services there is every •juoa why the entry of goods into each mntrv should be absolutely free of aty. * The industries of each country »uld be safeguarded in the following • aaner. The sectional parts could be ,-= I ade to balance. Thus in farm pro- * "■ - \*te fruits could balance potatoes, Aus- » - f-alian manufactured woollens arid light . "-, i orrteds might balance New Zealand /„ - "ianketß. Australian light boots might " ; .'*lan<"e New Zealand heavies and so 'a. Neither country would dominate '.* .'• to other. Each would supplement the ■"-• '-Ji*r- The. secondary industries of . tistrtHa have just saved that country ~,;■' ; rot devastating ruin. But ordinary • i '■'- rote<:tiott can be as senseless in opera- ' ". «tu free trade. It is preventing ' .'*•* -gttralia and New Zealand from help- '■ i- * »g eaeh other at a time when we should •"■- —edotef mt utmost to strengthen each V f Her. If we set up a department to ' ;' ' e*'*3*P equated trade with Australia, I -.f - believe the trade would multiply by ; ,» vm in a »hort time. But on top of ■ -■'• uite ifeould develop a mercantile ' »■■;.. Urine which should act as the bacic--1 ': i- '4«89 of o»r iiland defences. , 's* >S Sooner m later our public men must <r *j *'*itte «» t* the fact that Australia and * S <U l-ew Zealand are not . enemies but Pi' ■ tartem who need each other's help • ' !.* -l January 1«, 1933. i,f ' -S I i ' W ' ,