‘Hostile ’ reception to N.Z. man in New Caledonia

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32959, 4 July 1972, Page 3

‘Hostile ’ reception to N.Z. man in New Caledonia

(N.Z. Press Association)

AUCKLAND, July 3.

The ban on French trade imposed by the Federation of Labour was rebounding against the people who looked to the F.O.L. for support—the trade unionists—said an Auckland businessman, Mr R. C. Irvine, who returned from New Caledonia yesterday.

He said that because of the French reaction, both in metropolitan France and French Oceania, New Zealand risked permanent loss not only of French markets but also of a wide section of Pacific trade built up in the last few years by exporters.

In New Caledonia he was subjected to abuse and open hostility in hotels, shops, and the streets by officials and private citizens. The New Caledonians were unanimous in their condemnation of an action which, they said, discriminated against them for actions of their Government over which they had no control.

Mr Irvine, who is manag-ing-director of Auckland Building Supplies, Ltd, and Irvine Constructions, Ltd, has interests in housing construction and materials supply throughout the South Pacific. He said that New Zealand was working in a sellers’ market in goods which this country urgently needed to sell. In Noumea he was in the office of the president of the Chamber of Commerce, an organisation which, under French conditions, had power equivalent to that of the Ministry of Industries and Commerce, when instructions came from France to ban the import of New Zealand, Australian and Fijian goods of all

types and regardless of how they were shipped. The president (Mr Henri Berton) undertook to delay implementing the instruction until he had attempted to have the ban lifted. Mr Berton tried to send cables to the New Zealand Prime Minister, the Minister of Industries and Commerce, the Federation of Labour, and “anyone who might be able to help,” but under the communications ban the cables were not accepted.

Mr Irvine said Mr Berton

planned to come to New Zealand next Wednesday, and had asked him to organise meetings with anybody who might be able to take action to save the trade. This could be the last chance for a large section of New Zealand primary and secondary exporters, employing thousands of New Zealanders.

Transport disruption compelled Mr Irvine to return by way of Vila, in the New Hebrides.

In Vila, a French ship was

moored across the entrance to the harbour, for the stated purpose of blocking the entry of any British or chartered ship carrying goods from Australia or New Zealand. Mr Irvine said the whole situation throughout the South Pacific was explosive with hostility to New Zealand.

“We will have to go cap in hand as sellers to try to win back markets already Jost, with a very slim chance of success in view of the climate of opinion,” he said.