"HARVEST WAITING"

Evening Post, Issue 50, 27 August 1935, Page 8

"HARVEST WAITING"

TRADE WITH AUSTRALIA

ADVICE TO NEW ZEALAND

(By Telegraph.) ! (Special to the "Evening Post.")

NEW PLYMOUTH, This Day.

That r the basis of more equitable trading, with Australia lies in the supply by New Zealand of products which j cannot normally be produced in Australia was advice given to theTaranaki Chamber of Commerce by Mr R.*""H. Nesbitt, Australian .Trade Commissioner. He said New Zealand should make a determined effort to expand its timber and. fishing industries with ian eye to the Australian markets.'Already, said Mr. Nesbift, an assured j market for New Zealand timber existed in Australia, and. would always exist, because the timbers were of .a type that could not be produced in Australia. New Zealand waters abounded with fish of a type-that it. was impossible to obtain off the coasts of Australia —fish of finer flavour and texture than those indigenous to the warm currents off the-Australian coasts. "You should realise," said Mr. Nesbitt, "that you have a great harvest waiting to be garnered. If there is not a keen demand for New' Zealand fish in Australia, why does it pay an Australian trawler to come all the way across the Tasman to fish in the waters off the South Island? New Zealand enterprise should make use of the fast mail steamer services and land quantities of this superior fish at Sydney within three days."

IVCrI Nesbitt deprecated the tendency df certain factions to urge that New Zealand should not buy from Australia unless she bought equivalently from New Zealand. "At present," asked Mr. Nesbitt, "what can we buy from you? Kemember that 95 per cent of [New Zealand's produce is fronr farms i —produce. which. we in Australia are I producing ourselves. As far as the other 5 per cent, is concerned, an examination of figures is significant. Last year New Zealand sold to Australia goods valued at £1,600,000, and Australia sold to New Zealand goods valued at £3,400.000—a ratio of roughly two to one; yet eight or nine years ago the ratio was more than three to one in Australia's yfavour. The fact is that while England is New • Zealand's best customer, 'Australia is the next best." As- such was the case, said Mr. Nesbitt, it was bad business to. antagonise Australia with the hostile comment of amateur, economists. ,