CO-OPERATION SOUGHT

Evening Star, Issue 23128, 30 November 1938, Page 7

CO-OPERATION SOUGHT

AUSTRALIAN MEDICAL EQUIPMENT ITS VALUE TO NEW ZEALAND On a mission concerning Empire trade, particularly as regards the supply of essential electro-medical equipment for public hospitals and other institutions, and the direct relationship of these essential services to the defence of Australia and New Zealand, there is at present visiting Dunedin Mr R. E. Akers, liaison officer from Messrs Watson Victor Ltd., Sydney, the largest manufacturers of such equipment within the Empire.

Mr Akers, who carries credentials from- the Federal Government, has already interviewed the Prime Minister (the Right Hon. M. J. Savage) and other members of Cabinet._ On his return to Wellington he will be interviewing the Minister of Health (Hon. P. Fraser), Minister of Industries and Commerce (Hon. D. G. Sullivan), and the Minister of Finance (Hon. W. Nash). Mr Akers has been encouraged in his mission by the expressed opinion of those he has. interviewed that it is the policy of the Government to encourage and foster Empire trade.

“When one travels from Australia to New Zealand, or vice versa,” said Mr Akers to a ‘ Star ’ reporter this morning, “ it is like going from the home of one relative to another, because both countries have common interests. This is not surprising when one realises that there are/some 60,000 New Zealand-born people in Australia and 50,000' Australians in New Zealand. This evidence of blood relationship and common interests is something both countries might well be proud of, for should times of stress come again, as they did in 1914, when our mutual safety may be involved, the spirit of Anzac would subordinate all other considerations. It would be well for both countries to retain and maintain that same spirit of Anzac, in our commercial and industrial relationships.” It is in this spirit that Mr Akers is attacking his mission to New Zealand. Believing that those responsible for the defence of the country were anxious that everything that could be done should be done to ensure that adequate, efficient, and continuous services would be available in time of the country’s greatest need, he is stressing the necessity for the purchase of X-ray and electro-medical supplies and scientific equipment for public hospitals from Australia. Should hostilities occur overseas, trade routes would immediately suffer, and, furthermore, the home demand in Great 'Britain would be too great to prevent her helping in this specialised field. Neither New Zealand nor Australia was likely to escape in the event of another war, and it was wise, therefore, to take such steps as would ensure adequate supplies of essential equipment, as well ns assuring the availability of spares and replacements. These steps could be taken by purchasing this very essential equipment from Australia.