AUSTRALIAN TRADE WITH N.Z.

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22305, 20 January 1938, Page 11

AUSTRALIAN TRADE WITH N.Z.

* HIGHER DUTIES SAID TO BE LIKELY SEVERAL INCREASES PLANNED BY DOMINION SYDNEY, January 19. The Sydney “Morning Herald’s” Canberra correspondent says that it is understood that the scope of the restrictions to be imposed by New Zealand on Australian-manu-factured products will be wider than has been expected. This will be revealed by the report of the Minister for Customs (Mr T. W. White) on the proposed trade treaty with the Dominion. It is stated that one of the features of the new agreement will be an increase in the duties in New Zealand on a range of about 30 items of manufactured goods now imported from Australia. The Federal Cabinet will consider the proposed agreement when it meets in Sydney next week. Certain features are still subject to adjustment, but it is probable that it will be completed about the middle of next month. “ONLY GUESSWORK” MR SAVAGE’S COMMENT [From Our Parliamentary Reporter.l WELLINGTON, January 19. “That, of course, is only guesswork,” said the Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage), when asked to comment in an interview this evening on the message from Australia suggesting the possible range of action to be taken under the new Australian-New Zealand trade agreement. Mr Savage said that the time was not right for any disclosure of the details, and described the Canberra story as “newspaper kite-flying.”