RECIPROCITY

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 3 May 1922, Page 5

RECIPROCITY

AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND.;

MINISTERIAL STATEMENT.

i (BY TELEGRAPH —PKESB ASSOCIATION.) AUCKLAND, May 2. I The tariff negotiations between New ! Zealand and Australia were the subject - of a statement by the Hon. W. Downie Stewart (Minister for Customs) on arrival from Sydney to-day. He could not make any forecast ■< as to how far tiie agreement would prove satisfactory to the New Zealand Parliament or the • Australian Parliament. It had to be remembered that the two previous agreements had failed to secure ratification. The present agreement was, however, on a much more elaborate scale than anything hitherto attempted. Apart altogether from what was decided upon, certain proposals were made by the Commonwealth Government of a farreaching nature, which he promised to submit to his colleagues for their consideration. These involved issues which had not been considered before he left New Zealand, and he therefore did not feel warranted in taking action regarding them. While avoiding any reference to the terms of the proposed treaty, the Minister said arrangements had been made whereby goods of British origin in transit through either country or re- ' exported from either country, ceased to be subjected to extreme tariff. It had been intended to operate as from May 1. but he had not .yet heard whether the necessary steps had been taken in Wellington and Melbourne. As to the remainder of the tariff proposals, said - the Minister, if the tentative agreement was approved it would help to restor* the. volume of trade to something approachino; that ruling prior to the recent revision of tariff in tiotn countries.