MR. MASSEY

Greymouth Evening Star, 4 June 1921, Page 5

MR. MASSEY

many TOPICS DISCUSSED.

AMERICAN MEAT TRADE

(Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.;

LONDON, June 2.

Interviewed, by an Australian Press As-, sociation representative, Mu Massey said he welcomed Sir J. Cook’s approval of holding the conferences alternatively in Britain, and the Dominions, and intends pressing the proposal at the conference. Mr Massey is hopeful of enlisting Mr Hughes’ support. Commenting on a New Zealand cable with reference to Sir F. Bell's interchange of despatches with the United States in reference to meat export licenses, Mr Massey warmly approved of Sir F. Bell’s action and repudiated the suggestion that there is anything arbitrarily or unfriendly intended. Meat export was one of the chief mainstays. It was necessary to safeguard it against a- repetition of previous experience, when American re-shipments

of New Zealand meat to England undersold direct shipments. Mr Massey said he regretted America’s new tariff proposals were calculated to arrest New Zealand trade, which had multiplied fourfold between the pre-war and post-war periods. Mr .Massey is negotiating in regard to the wool difficulty, and New Zealand’s share of the profits. The matter revolves round the interpretation of the agreement with the Imperial authorities, and > negotiations are likely to occupy several weeks. Mr Massey has also had a conversation with officials on the question of NewZealand’s share of repatriation payments. Mr Massey is at present disinclined to comment on Professor Hall’s contention in regard to the definition of the Dominion’s status, until the definitions of the various overseas States have been laid before the Imperial Conference, which is the proper place, he says, to thrash out the whole subject. He strongly realises the value of the position gained through the war by the admission of the overseas representatives to the Imperial Cabinet. An attempt to secure a more rigid definition of their status would result in diminished elasticity between the various units of the Empire and they .might even lose what they had already gained, and be thrown back to the former kind of conference days, which were more or less of an academic character.

Mr .Massey dines with Air Lloyd George to-night and attends the Rhodes scholars’ dinner at Oxford on June 11th. WELLINGTON. This Dav.

Air Alassey had a long interview with Lord Tnverforth on wool profits. This will be followed by conferences with other officials. He also had a lengthy private talk with T.ord Milner on Imperial Conference matters. It has been necessary to decline nrmv invitations to attend public and social functions in various parts of the Kingdom, which are unprecedently numerous.