EMBARGO ON FRUIT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21398, 24 January 1933, Page 11

EMBARGO ON FRUIT

AUSTRALIAN'S CRITICISM ACTION HARD TO RECONCILE " GRAVE MISUNDERSTANDING " The embargo placed by New Zealand on the importation of Australian fruit and produce was commented upon yesterday by Mr. E. P. M. Sheedy, chairman of directors of the Newcastle Morning Herald, who arrived by the Monowai from Sydney. Mr. Sheedy, who is a chartered accountant and chairman of the Australian United Press, Limited, is also interested in Guernsey cattle and the growing of oranges. He said ho had come to New Zealand for the fishing and was anxious to see and learn more of the Dominion.

"Among other things," said Mr. Sheedy, "I specially seek enlightenment regarding New Zealand's action in placing an embargo on the importation of Australian oranges. Is this New Zealand's understanding of the spirit of Ottawa ? "I well remember that New Zealand was among tho first to contribute to Imperial defence in her splendid gift of a battleship. I am candidly at a loss to reconcile this with your Government's recent action in the Empire's effort in trade defence. If New Zealand grew oranges I could possibly appreciate some embargo. To exclude tho product of a sister Dominion to the undoubted advantage of an American product is a situation which, to my mind, offers no very special contribution to a solution of mutual Empire difficulties. "I was privileged to meet in England a representative delegation of New Zealanders, and I am quite sure, if I ajm to judge from their expressed views on Empire trading, that surely there is in this matter some grave misunderstanding. "I am also confident that two such closely-related members of the Empire family should get together in a spirit of sweet reasonableness and find a happy solution of this, the first, and I hope the last, indication of any lack of appreciation of the big, broad vision of Empire consolidation."