CANBERRA PACT

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 115, 10 February 1944, Page 6

CANBERRA PACT

Dominion’s Position “ ‘Anzac’ was the coined name of the Australian-New Zealand Army Corps in the Great War, and cannot properly be used in any other connexion,” said the president of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce, Mr. W. H. Hindle, at a meeting of the council of the chamber, referring to the use of the word to describe the' Australian-New Zealand Agreement, 1944. Discussing various aspects of the agreement, Mr. Hindle said that the migration clauses were too vague for a matter which was probably the most vital to our existence. There should have been a declaration that both Gov i .ernments realized the tragically weak position of our countries due to our small population. “There is no time to be lost,” he declared, “and an aggressive policy of peopling our open spaces should be high up on the list of priorities. If we do not see to the population of these two countries, the time will come when we will be unable to hold them. The writing is on the wall. The pyramid of our age groups is becoming'undermined. It therefore cannot be too strongly urged on our Government to embark without delay on a bold scheme of immigration. “Apart from the above comments, the agreement appears to be a step along the right road, and provided it is put into effect in the spirit as ‘well as the word, should be a valuable contribution to the peace and prosperity of Australia, New Zealand, and the countries in this part of the Pacific. It is a sign of our having grown up and being prepared to accept responsibility for our owu defence. We are undertaking obligations that will cost vast sums of money, but we cannot continue to be dependent on Britain.” Mr. A. L. Wall said he felt it would be a long time before we in this part of the world would be iu a position to defend ourselves. As regards the future of air services, he said; “It is unthinkable that we should go into the air business as a State enterprise. That is contrary to our policy as a chamber of commerce. I think it would be a grave disaster.”

Mr. W. I. Cunninghame, representing the Manufacturers’ Association on the council, remarked that very little reference to trade matters was contained in the agreement. ,As regards the Government entering into the business of air transport, he snid that “the disastrous experience of this country in the owning and operating of the Maui Pomare should be suffiicent warning.”