ACROSS THE TASMAN

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 121, 19 November 1934, Page 9

ACROSS THE TASMAN

HEARTrTO-HEART TALK

AUSTRALIA AND DOMINION

QUESTIONS': TO , SETTLE

Unitcil Press - Association—By Electric Telo-

graph—Copyright.

'SYDNEY, November 18,

Tho Kt. Hon. J. G. Coates and tlio lion. E. Masters had a very rough trip from New Zealand, and wore glad to bo in port. They wero met at tho wharf by Dr. Earle Page, Deputy Prime Minister, of Australia, .and M-. , JP. I-I. Stewart, Sir Henry Gullett, Minister directing Trade Treaties, and Mr. L. J. Schmitt, New Zealand Trade Commissioner, and others. ' Tho New Zealand visitors, who aro staying at the Hotel Australia, expect to remain at Sydney i'or a week, participating in tho festivities connected with -the Royal visit. They will attend a complimentary dinner to Mr. J. G. Latham, former Federal AttorneyGeneral, tomorrov night, and then go to Canberra foT the trade conference. Interviewed tonight, Mr. Masters said that the trade agreement between Australia and New Zealand was working satisfactorily - from the viewpoint of both countries, but there,wero\certain aspects on which' there should be closer understanding, also certain matters arising from the New Zealand tariff, which needed further consideration by the countries. ■ Mr. Coates supplemented the interview with tho following comments: — "Apart from trado questions, there are some things of a wider nature in which tho Commonwealth and Dominion are naturally interested, and on which an exchango of views is'both desirable and necessary. Australia and New Zealand are friendly rivals, supplying similar commodities to the United ' Kingdom. A heart-to-heart talk on this subject is bound to havo good results." Mr. Masters emphasisod that, in the past ten years, the balance of trado in favour of Australia had been between £15,000,000 and £20,000,000. It ,was interesting to note that, out of 21 classes of goods exported by Australia, New Zealand was .the largest purchaser of 14 classes, and, despite tho fact that tho balance would inevitably continue to favour Australia, the Dominion was very desirous of establishing tho best two-way ,trad.c possible. He himself was an "advocate of the speedy anc. .safe development ,of air travel. "Wo have some admirable ships .crossing tho Tasman, ,but there are still somo poor sailors amongst us. ' Personally, "I feel safer travelling by air than by other means." ,