MEAT DISCUSSION

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXVI, Issue 119, 4 May 1936, Page 7

MEAT DISCUSSION

N.Z.’s Interest in Freight Contracts MINISTER FOR BRITAIN j (Bj Teleginpb-Tien Aaaociitioa.) WELLINGTON, May 4. New Zealand’s representation at the coining negotiations m London relating to freight contracts and trade agreements was the subject of a statement made by the Prime Minister, the Bt. Hon. M. J. Savage, who discussed tho necessity of a responsible Minister remaining iu Loudon lor an appreciable period rather than making a visit to carry out negotiations as quickly as n’oesiblo, . ,

Ragurdiug freight contracts for Um carnage of New Zealand’s refrigerated produce, including butter, cheese, meat, I and fruit, involving over £3,000,01 ) I annually, Mr Savage stated that New Zealand s case would be dealt with at a conference with overseas ship owner this month. Thu conference would bo attended by tho High Commissioner Dr. Campbell (economic adviser), Mr H. E. Davis, London manager of the Dairy Bear’d, Mr Begg, a member'?! the Meat Beard now on his way 4<> London, and Mr Forsyth, London manager o.f the Meat Producers’ Board Reminded of the coming terminal). .i of the trade agreement between Brita* i and Denmark and the subsequent negotiations this year following ti n termination of the agreement betwei n Britain and Argentine, the Flinn? Minister remarked that New Zealth’ul was of course vitally interested in these matters, though he could not see where much could be done until representatives of all parts of the Empire un t together in London, and the probabilit y was that tho Imperial Conference would | handle these questions. The date bin I been mentioned as being prior to the Coronation, but nothing had been cfeunitely decided. “My own feeling on these important matters,” continued the Prime Minister, “is that just a flying shot at them by the Miuister going home to Britain for a few weeks is not enough. That will probably happen again—add I am not criticising what has been done in the past—but 1 hope it Drill lead to something more the way of some Minister being able to remain in Britain for a period just as long as the problem remains. Problems are growing all the time, and the British Commonwealth has either to hang together or hang separately, so that it seems to me we must give our representatives reasonable time to g< t down to realities on the spot. We must have someone on the spot with authority to say, ‘That is the position and that is what we will do.’ I do not wish to see a representative without power, and when the indication was given that one of the British Ministers would visit the Dominion I made tbo suggestion that he should come with authority, so I am hoping that aft< r the coming Imperial Conference we will be ahle to agree to keep the representatives in Britain as long as the problem remains, and if we can proceed on those lines we will be capable ol doing big things.”