ORANGES FROM SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 210, 3 June 1935, Page 8

ORANGES FROM SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Authority For Shipments TRADE NEGOTIATIONS POSTPONED By Telegraph.—Press Association. Dunedin, June 1. The matter had been engaging the attention of the Government for some time past, said the Acting-Minister of Customs, Hon. A. Hamilton, when asked this morning if anything was being done in respect to the importation of oranges. He said it had been recognised for some time that the supplies available from the Cook Islands would not, owing to damage caused to the crops by the hurricane, satisfy normal requirements this season, and that arrangements would have to be made to permit importations from Australia earlier than had been found necessary in past years. It was regretted, said Mr. Hamilton, that the negotiations which took place in Australia in November last did not result in a settlement of the difficulties in trading relations with the Commonwealth, and renewal of the negotiations respecting a trade agreement, which it had been hoped would take place at the commencement of this year, had been postponed until the return from England of the Prime Minister of New Zealand and the Prime Minister of Australia. The position, therefore, was that the question respecting admission into the Commonwealth of our potatoes; an important one from the point of view of our producers, was still outstanding. This and other factors had to be taken into consideration by the Government before a free and general importation of oranges from Australia could be permitted. The matter had been under discussion between the Governments of New Zealand and Australia, and it had now been decided in all the circumstances to permit importation of* oranges from South Australia only as in. the past. Authority had been given for the following shipments: Ten thousand eases to the South Island and 17,000 cases to Wellington by the Waitaki, leaving Melbourne on June 20; 8000 eases for Auckland by the Wanganella, leaving on July 10.