TRADE MATTERS

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 96, 27 April 1929, Page 10

TRADE MATTERS

REPRESENTATIVE ABROAD

EARLY ACTION"' POSSIBLE

."'Advice has been received by the Prime Minister (the Eight .Hon. Sir Joseph AVard) that Mr. Paul. Sykes, who has been Assistant-Canadian Government Trade Commissioner, lias left New Zealand under instructions' from tho Canadian Department'of.Trade'■.arid Commerce, and is now en route, to Hong Kong, where, he will open an office as Canadian. Government Trade Commissioner.

The question of extending New Zealand's .markets: abroad lias at various times engaged the attention of successive! Governments in-New Zealand, and in_ 1924, when Mr. Masscy was Prime Minister, a clause was embodied in the Finance Act providing that the Gov-

«|rnor-,General-in-Council "may from time to time appoint a person to be Commissioner for New Zealand in Canada and the United States of America, who.shall hold office during the pleasure of tho Governor-General."

Although it is going on for five years since this legislative authority was obtained, no appointment in virtue of it has been made, but when speaking at the annual dinner of the' Wellington Chamber of Commerce on the 16th of this month-the Prime' Minister (the Eight Hon. Sir Joseph Ward) stated that the Government had 'at present under consideration the question of trade representation in Canada and elsewhere. It is' understood that some action in tliis connection may bo taken when Parliament is in session this year. ■ .

It was announce:! in yesterday's' cablegrams that/Mr. .Herbert Brookes, of Melbourne, ex-chairman of the Tariff Board, lias been appointed Australian representative in tlio . United States.' The Prime Minister, in making the announcement, said that: Mr. Brookes's title would 'bo Commissioner-General for Australia. The cable message did not state whether the appointment would relate solely to trade matters, or whether \ would combine both political and trade representation in line with the decision of the last Imperial Conference, whereby the 'Dominions are given the- right to make diplomatic appointments to other countries. Canada and South Africa nave availed themselves of this procedure, and the British Government has gone the length of appointing High Commissioners to Canada and South Africa. , So far as New Zealand's political relations with Great Britain and other countries are concerned, Mr. .Coat.es, when Prime Minister, declared that New Zealand would continue to adhere to the existing system whereby tho Governor-General is the channel of communication between New Zealand.and His Majesty's Government in Great Britain, and there has been no indication on the part of the new Government of any desire to change the existing procedure.