Australia and Dominion Walk Hand-in-hand

Manawatu Times, Volume 60, Issue 196, 21 August 1935, Page 10

Australia and Dominion Walk Hand-in-hand

UNDERSTANDING THAT MIGHT - SAVE TRIPS TO LONDON A strong appeal for better understanding between Australia and New Zealand for cultivation of their many joint interests, was made by Mr R. H. Nesbit, resident Australian trade commissioner in New Zealand, during an address yesterday to the Manawatu and West Coast A. and P. Association.

Mr Nesbit prefaced his remarks by extending cordial' thanks for tko hospitality the association had given his first lieutenant, Mr J. Payne, when staging an exhibition at the last show. fa the last few years the Australian Government had adopted a policy long pursued by New Zealand —sending a resident trade commissioner to the sister Dominion, Uo important was this that the Commonwealth was now maintaining two experts in New Zealand. Misconceptions arose all too readily, and there was even a suspicion in New Zealand that Australia was trying to

“put one across” New Zealand. He was therefore glad of opportunities for meeting representative bodies and correcting any misapprehension. "Mr. Forbes yesterday told me what a wonderful reception and welcome he had received during his enforced stay in Sydney. Moreover, the fact that you have a colony of 40,000 New Zealanders living in Sydney should be suliiciont to induce lasting goodwill.”

New Zeaiand and Australia were both expanding countries, but they should try to achieve this end with a minimum of injury one to another. Much was heard of. the adverse trade balance. The actuality was that New Zealand sold to Australia about £1,000,000 worth of goods annually, and bought £3,400,000 worth. That represented a ratio of about two to one, but recorded a big improvement over 1929, when the balance was 31 to one. Was balanced trade always regarded as essential in private relations? New Zealand’s produce came chiefly—Do per cent, of it—from the laud, and was thus largely the same as the products wou from Australia’s own teeming fields. But New Zealand actually, in spite of this, sold certain wools to Australia, who was also her second best customer in hides. In the last twelve months New Zealand sales of fish to Australia had gone up by a wide margin. There were other possibilities for New Zealand to increase her trade to Australia.

New Zealand, on t he other hand, could import from Australia a number of things she could not get from any other Empire country. Typical were dried fruits, of which Australia now sent 3000 tons to New Zealand annually, and rice, of which 1000 tons a year came to New Zealand. It was au expanding industry iu Australia, the rice being harvested under the most hygienic conditions. Canned fruits also were leaving Australia for ports all round the world, including New Zealand.

But in manufactures, too, Australia was forging ahead, producing goods equal to the world’s best. There was a vast steel industry. There had been in New Zealand a recent complaint as lo farmers’ inability to get English wire. The last returns showed, however, that England sent I2l,ooocwts. of farming wire, and Australia 28,000ewt., to New Zealand. That was all right, but the U.S.A. had exported more wire to New Zealand than Australia, who claimed a right to attempt to capture part, of the Dominion market, not from Britain, but from U.S.A. Britain found in Australia her second best customer, but so did New Zealand. There was no endeavour by Australia to upset New Zealand’s relations with England. It was realised that New Zealand, like Australia herself, must buy freely from England to preserve her own market there. Australia had been as loyal to Ottawa as any parts of the Empire, claimed Air Nesbit. She had reduced her exchange and given Britain greater preference.

Australia was very desirous that friendship with New Zealand should be in no way estranged; she wanted commercial relations on as high a plane as possible. The current world situation was a dangerous one, and the Empire should have as few differences between its members as possible. Australia was honestly striving to get good relations with New Zealand every sphere. Thus, last year, the council' of apple exporters had agreed to eliminate a number of varieties from the list of those that could be exported, thus falling into line with New Zealand’s own list. Other harmonics ns to marketing in England were being discovered, and by fruitful discussions'much could be achieved that would remove the heat engendered in the past. Understanding might obviate the need for trips to London to solve mutual difficulties.