Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE. SATURDAY, MAY 25th., 1935. N.Z. AND AUSTRALIA.

Greymouth Evening Star, 25 May 1935, Page 6

Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE. SATURDAY, MAY 25th., 1935. N.Z. AND AUSTRALIA.

yn e announcement from Canberra. thal the visit oflhe Minister of Customs (Mr. White) to Xew Zealand, has been postponed indefinitely owing to the absence in London of Australian and Xew Zealand Ministers. is not surprising. The reason given will deceive few. 'Phe absence of the respective principal Ministers has heen I nown for a long time. Perhaps the dissensions over the meat export negotiations in London, are the real cause of the cancellation of Mr. White’s visit, which was to be made! with the object of once again attempting to negotiate an amended trade-treafv between the Common-

wealth and Xew Zealand. Despite the good feeling between the two peopCs, often emphasised at public receptions, dinners and similar gatherings, the .Ministerial rela-

tions are not the most cordial, nor first-hand. Did not Mr. Forbes soon after his arrival in London, declare that he had never previously met Mr. Lyons! The blunt fact is that the two countries are keen commercial rivals, and are reluctant to make concessions to each other. New Zealand can claim to have done more in this way than her

neighbour. The British Government will be made the scapegoat by some Overseas representatives, should the meat deadlock continue, but. the chief cause of failure will be Overseas rivalry. Flooding the market to New Zealand’s detriment is alleged against Australia, which is unrepentant, and indeed, wants nothing to be done to check her meat exports to Britain. She prefers a levy to a quota, whereas New Zealand appeals for the latter if one or other is unavoidable. New Zealand’s meat exports, especially mutton and lamb, have reached a figure that is somewhat near the limit of her present capacities. This is the result of many years’ work and enterprise. On the other hand, Australia is a relative newcomer in lamb supplies, but has plans to develop this industry on a large scale. Any quota based on previous • years ’ exports would place her at a disadvantage as compared with New Zealand. If Overseas exporters refuse *to agree among themselves, Britain cannot be blamed, if the consequences prove irksome.

Mr. J. 11. Thomas, the Dominions’ Secretary, has been taken to task by Mr. Ransom somewhat unnecessarily. The words quoted by Mr. Ransom were admittedly said by Mr. Thomas to Mr. Lyons, and not to Mr. Forbes. Allowance, too, has to be made for Mr. Thomas’s unconventional form of speech. As one London writer recently said: “Tough as the beef question may be, I imagine that Mr. Thomas and Mr. Lyons are able, while discussing it, to exchange much incidental banter. Mr Thomas has publicly described the Australian Prime Minister as ‘that old perisher with the innocent face.’ This may be a clue to what he calls him over the conference table. Accustomed as they are to plain speech, the Commonwealth Ministers are doubtless finding themselves quite at home with the frankness of Mr. Thomas.” Mr Thomas plays to the boxes and stalls, rather than the gallery, posing to the upper classes in Britain, as a “rough diamond,” especially in vocabulary. His remark to Mr. Lyons about the sale of Australian wool, was justified, if not elegant.

Whatever the result of the London meat negotiations, it is to be hoped that on the return of the Ministers to Australia and New Zealand, they will make a sincere attempt to improve mutual trading relations. Each suffers when either places an embargo on imports, or raises the tariffs so that business is almost impossible. The high price of oranges here, and the excessive cost of potatoes in the Commonwealth, supply notable instances bf this loss. Pressure is put on Min-* isters of both countries to continue with trade barriers, but the bulk of public opinion would be behind any leaders who insisted on wider views being taken. The destinies of Australia and New Zealand are closely interwoven, and more of the “Anzae” spirit is desirable in all their dealings with each other.