AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND.

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 20807, 17 March 1933, Page 10

AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND.

♦ ! TRADE RELATIONS MAY BE REVISED. CONFERENCE NEXT WEEK. (ritF.SS ASSOCIATION TIXEGR.U4.) WELLINGTON, March 16. Considerable interest is shown in political circles in the Arrival next ■ Monday of the Australian delegation,! headed by Senator Massy Greene, a member of tho Commonwealth Ministry, to discuss with representatives of tho Now Zealand Government trade icJations between the two countries. It is now clear that the discussions will involve far more than negotiations concerning the removal of New Zealand's embargo on tho inmortatiou of Australian fruit and vegetables, which was imposed toward the end of last year. Preparations arc being made by the New Zealand Government to enter on a fairly protracted conference, and it is understood authoritatively that there is every possibility of tho trade relations of the two countries being thoroughly overhauled. This may mean a revision of the existing trade treaty between Australia and New Zealand. and there is authority for stating that if this will mean the bringing about of more mutually profitable commercial intercourse, this Dominion will not object to discussions being opened from tbia angle. Complete preparations are being made by the Minister for Finance and Customs, tho lit. Hon. J. G. Coates, in collaboration with tho Customs Department, in order to be in a position to facilitate negotiations, and to be able to present New Zealand's case in tho best interests of botli importers and exporters. Mr Coates will naturally conduct the negotiations on behalf of New Zealand, and in view of tho fact that the agreement reached will not go outside tho provisions of the Ottawa agreements, his experience as leader of the New Zealand delegation to Canada will be valuable. It has been arranged that the conference will bo held at Parliament House. The Australian Delegation. Tho importance which tiiii Commonwealth attaches to the forthcoming discussions may be gauged from the personnel of the official party which will reach here on Monday. Senator Greene will bo accompanied by Mr J. Mclvinnon, of tho Federal Quarantine Department, Mr A. Horan, an official of tho Federal Treasury and Customs Department, Mr C. li. Carter, of the Federal Department of Trade aud Commerce, who was a member ol the official Australian delegation i-i the Ottawa Conference, Professor A. E. X. Richardson, professor of agriculture at tho University of Adelaide, who will act as official adviser, and who was also a member of tho Australian delegation to the Ottawa Conference, and Mr W. Deady, pri":'te secretary. Tho Prime Minister, tho lit. Hon. G. W. Forbes, is expected to return to Wellington on Sunday morning from his home at Cheviot, where he has been resting after tho session, and he will thus be in the capital to welcome Senator Greene on Monday. It is unlikely that any formal work will be done* on Monday. Senator Greene will probably mnko official calls on the members of tho Cabinet, and ho may confer with Mr Coates concerning the work to bo done by the conference. It is expected that tho discussion will run into two weeks or oven more, for tho ground to be covered is rtdmiU/o.ci in official circles to be considr-rnhle. while the issues to ho dealt with will be of far-reaching importance.