FREE TRADE AREA

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30259, 11 October 1963, Page 17

FREE TRADE AREA

Talks “Bogged Down”

The talks on the possible etablishment of a free trade area between Australia and New Zealand had become “bogged down a little,” said the president of the Melbourne Chamber of Commerce, Mr L L. Wathen, in Christchurch yesterday. He had, he said, held discussi ons with the president of the Canterbury. Chamber of Commerce, Mr R. B. McNish, and some of his associates yesterday. They discussed the effects of the talks being “bogged down.” "I presume the bogging down is caused by difficulties that the two Governments

have spoken about,” he said. “Solutions aren’t easy to all of them, naturally. It did look as if there were many points of agreement.” Mr Wathen said it was bard to determine how far the talks at Government level had got. "Perhaps there have been some rather awkward problems. It is inevitable, when you have both countries producing similar goods.” Mr Wathen declared himself to be in favour of a free trade area. “But I am not personally a party who would be affected,” he said. “We are customs and shipping agents—we ace virtually a service organisation. We are simply hopeful that something wiM come along. We think New Zealand and Australia should be linked together in trade.”

Witnesses' Convention. A three-day convention of Jehovah’s Witnesses will be held this week-end at the South Brighton Community Centre. About 400 delegates are expected from the northern districts of the South Island.