FRIENDSHIP
BRITAIN AND DOMINIONS MR FORBES’ IMPRESSIONS. SATISFACTORY MEAT NEGOTIATIONS. “New Zealand has every reason to feel satisfied with the result of the meat negotiations, which took place in England,” said the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes, on his arrival in Wellington this morning. “The terms and figures agreed upon have already been published, and, no doubt, have been dealt with fully by Mr Coates. Whilst discussions were more protracted than we would , have wished it must be remembered that the time of the British Ministers was greatly taken up, at this period, with consideration of a number of other vitally important questions, such as the European situation and the reconstruction of the Government, etc., and it was not an easy matter for them to fit in meetings with the Dominion representatives, when they had also their ordinary duties to carry on. “This, of course, made it difficult and inconvenient for Ministers from overseas, who were anxious to have an agreement reached and return to their homes at the earliest possible opportunity. “I am satisfied that we received every consideration from the United Kingdom Ministers, and they were perfectly fair in all their dealings with us, and endeavoured to meet the position as far as practicable, having regard to their obligations under treaties with ’ other countries and the interests of their own farmers. Anxious To Help. “I am convinced that they were anxious to do everything possible to facilitate a mutually satisfactory conclusion to the negotiations, and that they would have liked to have gone further in this direction but for existence of these ■ treaties. “I confidently believe as a result of the impression I gained when in England of the very strong feeling of friendship towards Dominions that exists there, that we have nothing to fear as to the treatment we will receive from the United Kingdom Government, when the present treaties and agreements expire.. I was unable to remain in London until the negotiations ended,’ but, before my departure, Mr Coates and I had agreed upon the lines of the policy that New Zealand should take in settlement of the few points remaining at the time to be finalised.. Tribute To Mr Coates,
“I should like, at this stage,” said Mr Forbes, “to pay tribute to my colleague for the satisfactory manner in which the negotiations concluded. From my knowledge of the position, it was no easy task he had to perform.”
Mr Forbes referred to the great advantage of having Messrs T. A. Duncan and J. Fraser, chairman and general manager respectively of the New Zealand Meat Producers’ Board, present in London during the progress of the negotiations. Their knowledge and advice were of considerable assistance to Mr Coates and himself at many points of the discussions and the fact that the board representatives had concurred in the arrangements should give weight to the claim that New Zealand had cause for satisfaction with what had been achieved.
Mr Forbes also expressed the view that primary producers would, no doubt, feel greatly relieved that their fears of severely curtailed imports of meat into the United Kingdom and the possibility of a levy on mutton and lamb had been swept away by the arrangements that had been made. It should give heart for the farming community, whose prospects of getting out of their difficulties were, at one time, so much overshadowed by what might happen to their main market.
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Northern Advocate, 19 August 1935, Page 5
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573FRIENDSHIP Northern Advocate, 19 August 1935, Page 5
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