TRADE REVIEW FORECAST

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28450, 3 December 1957, Page 16

TRADE REVIEW FORECAST

Imbalance With Australia (New Zealand Press Association) (Rec. 7 p.m. ) MELBOURNE, December 2. An early review of trade relations between New Zealand and Australia is forecast today by the Melbourne “Herald” Canberra correspondent as a likely outcome of the change of Government in New Zealand. The correspondent said: "At present, the trade balance between Australia and New Zealand, which is highly adverse to New Zealand. dominates the whole pattern of New Zealand overseas balances. “New Zealand's problems of correcting her trade balances with Australia are intensified by the operation of Australian import controls against New Zealand. Last year. Australian exports to New Zealand totalled £slm, compared with £l2m in imports. For the current year the position appears to be deteriorating further. “There is little prospect of any big increase in New Zealand exports to Australia, but her imports at the moment are running at a rate exceeding £6om annually.” The correspondent said that Australian officials would not be surprised if action were taken by the New Zealand Government to. cut the level of Australian exports to New Zealand. Tokyo Comment A Toyko report says that Japanese Foreign Ministry officials, while refraining from official comment on the outcome of the New Zealand elections, said today they were afraid that the trade negotiations between Japan and New Zealand would be more difficult now that a Labour Administration had been returned to power. The Japanese officials said privately that they thought it unfortunate that Mr Kishi’s visit coincided with the change of Government. However, the New Zealand Government "may take a completely fresh view of the problems affecting the two nations.” LICENSING POLL Amended Totals Issued (New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON. December 2. Amended totals for the national licensing poll were released todav by the Chief Electoral Officer (Mr L. Irwin) after he had checked the returns and revised the totals. The amended totals slightly reduce the vote for continuance. The votes, with percentages in parenthesis, are:— Continuance, 655,436 (63.25 per cent.) State purchase, 147,232 (14.21 per cent. Prohibition, 233,525 (22.54 per cent). Total vote, 1,036,193. TWO RESULTS AMENDED Central Otago And Gisborne (New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON. December 2. Amended results on the preliminary counts in two electorates were received by the Chief Electoral Officer (Mr L. Irwin) today. They are for Gisborne and Otago Central. In Gisborne the election night return did not include the return from one polling place, and the amended return increases the majority for the sitting member (Mr R. A. Keeling, Labour) by one vote. A miscount in Otago Central has been corrected, reducing the majority for the sitting member (Mr J. H. George, National) from 3692 to 2690. SCRUTINY OF ROLLS

Returning officers yesterday began the scrutiny of the rolls ”sed in the General Election on Saturday. Official results will not be known until December 10. The law allows until then for special votes to reach returning officers, and no special votes have been counted so far. After a scrutiny of the rolls and

the allowing or disallowing of special votes by the registrar of electors, the official count will begin. Once it is completed, election writs will be returned and the final results declared. Some special votes will not be decided until next Monday, because electors have until then to reply to queries from electoral officers.