EFFECT ON N.Z.

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25328, 30 October 1947, Page 7

EFFECT ON N.Z.

Statement By Mr Nash “GOOD BARGAIN MADE”

(P.A.) WELLINGTON, Oct. 29. “Are Imperial preferences inviolate?” asked Mr F. W. Doidge (Opposition, Tauranga), in the House of Representatives this evening, at the end of a statement by the Minister of Finance (Mr W. Nash) on the trade and employment conference at Geneva. “They are not intact,” replied Mr Nash, “but where they have been amended it has been done by discussion and agreement among all parties in the British Commonwealth. If there were any bargaining we have got rather the best of the bargain.” The Leader of the Opposition (Mr S. G. Holland): I suppose in every other country they are saying the same. Mr Nash said there was not a chance of anything being done by the New Zealand Government that would breach relations between New Zealand and Great Britain. Mr Nash’s Statement Mr Nash said the conference would probably end to-morrow. The conference followed a decision in February, 1946, of the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, which resolved to call an international conference on trade and employment. This conference had now been fixed to open on November 21 at Havana, Cuba. As a preliminary to the conference, a preparatory committee with representatives of 18 countries was established and charged with the preparation of a drsft charter containing the principles and practices which should operate for the promotion and expansion of international trade. This draft charter would be considered at the Eavana conference. The first session of the preparatory wmmittee, comprising representatives of 18 countries, was held in London in November, 1946. At the conclusion of its deliberations a special drafting committee representative of the same countries was set up to prepare a draft charter or articles of agreement in accord with the London discussions. This committee met in New York early in the present year and later presented a draft charter for consideration at Geneva, where the second session of the preparatory committee opened on March 10. “In addition to the meetings at London. New York, and Geneva,” said Mr Nash, “discussions on British Commonwealth and world trade- took place early in the present year in London among representatives of the British Commonwealth. Following file work of the two sessions of the preparatory committee and the conference of British Commonwealth, representatives, a final draft charter has been prepared at Geneva, together with a general agreement on trade and tariffs which it is proposed shall have multilateral application. Provisions of Agreement “Discussions on the last-mentioned agreement have been concluded and this agreement will be signed by Mr J. P. D. Johnson, Deputy-Cpntroller of Customs, to-morrow in Geneva on behalf of the New Zealand Government. The signing of the agreement certifies it to be an authenticated text of the general agreement and amended tariffs between the countries represented at the conference.

“The agreement contains provisions from the proposed charter which will be discussed at Havana, and there is specific provision in the agreement to be signed to-morrow that its signature will in no way prejudice the freedom of action of a signatory to negotiate for any necessary amendments to the draft charter which may be made at Havana. “The final form of the charter, as U emerges from the conclusion of the Havana conference, will later super- ♦ tlle provisions in the general ‘ariff agreement. Throughout the whole of the negotiations and at all meetings the New Zealand Government has- maintained contact with all other representatives °British Commonwealth. rhe text of the general tariff agreement will be published on an agreed S! e ’ a . s far as Practicable simuly eac h country concerned, until the date of publication the Government is not in a position to divulge oe contents of the agreement, but in 2?®. 9 pinion of the Government it 2'~* ains ,mutually advantageous previous. which should lead to a general ??u ns 3? n . of . world trade of benefit xPfS+u I)om l inion ’ the British Commoii.aun and all other countries. the agreement will be to Parliament at the earliest Possible date.” bt^?i S^ ei i ng 2 Question from the Opbenches. Mr Nash said the at which was to be discussed «igniS V + na was not what was being the to-morr-Qw. although some of the Proy isl °ns of the charter were in *ow agreement to be signed to-mor-

J?_ Mr . Holland, Mr Nash bot of the agreement did afliuSSS? Ne Y Zealand to any tariff x nts ' .-Atty s uch adjustments Pa rliament SUbjeCt t 0 ratifleatlon by