OTTAWA AGREEMENT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21830, 19 June 1934, Page 12

OTTAWA AGREEMENT

NEW ZEALAND'S PART MR. GOODFELLOW'S VIEWS REPLY TO MINISTER OF FINANCE A reply was made yesterday by Mr. W. Goodfellow, chairman of the Keciprocal Trade Federation, to a statement made recently by the Right Hon. J. G. Coates, Minister of Finance, concerning resolutions passed at public meetings demanding the fulfilment of New Zealand's obligations under the Ottawa Agreement, and remarks alleged to have been made by Mr. Albert Russell on the subject. Mr. Coates had referred, said Mr. Goodfellow. to the probability of the country being inundated with tracts and reprints, stating an exaggerated case. This he considered obviously referred to the activities of another organisation, and a more explicit statement would have been less confusing. There was no such programme contemplated by the Reciprocal Trade Federation. Mr. Russell had been referred to as an entertainer, when it was well known that he had for many years been a director of one of the largest firms in the Dominion. Mr. Russell had been erroneously reported as having said that "nothing had been done by New Zealand," said Mr. Goodfellow. He had, however, indicated that New Zealand had not played the game, and had fallen down by not carrying out the spirit of the Ottawa Agreement. This opinion was held, not only by the Reciprocal Trade Federation, but also by a large body of responsible people both in New Zealand and in the United Kingdom. The reiterated statement made by Mr. Coates that the New Zealand Government had carried out its obligations to the letter only half stated the position. The 15 per cent increase in the exchange rate placed the British manufacturer in a far worse position than he was in before the signing of the Ottawa Agreement. The removal of trade barriers between New Zealand and Great Britain was advocated by the Reciprocal Trade Federation. In this way there would be compliance not only with the letter, but, what was more important, with the'spirit of the Ottawa Agreement. MR. COATES' REJOINDER ATTITUDE OF FEDERATION [BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION] WELLINGTON. Monday ' The statement issued in Auckland bv the chairman of the New Zealand Producers and United Kincdom Manufacturers' Reciprocal Trade Federation. Mr. W. Goodfellow, in reply to . the statement made by the Minister of Finance, was referred to this evening by Mr. Coates. He said Mr. Goodfellow denied that Mr. Albert. Russell had said New Zealand had done nothing to oomph" with the Ottawa agreement. '"One can only rely in these matters on the press reports of Mr. Rustell's meetings," said Mr. Coates. "If Mr. Goodfellow will look up the extended reports as published, he will see the words that 1 Quoted. Most important of all, Mr. Goodfellow omits to say that the New Zealand exchange rate has nothing whatever to do with any advantage that Australian manufacturers may have over United Kingdom manufacturers. Our adjustment of the exchange rate —an adjustment, I may say. for which _ Mr. Goodfellow was insistent-in pressinc—applied equally to Australia, Great Britain and all other countries. "The New Zealand Producers and United Kingdom Manufacturers' Reciprocal Trade Federation, by its title, performs a useful service in drawing attention to the need for reciprocity iii trade and for co-operation between ourselves and the Mother Country, but it is apt to do a disservice when professing to speak for important interests. It advocates what is, in effect, an alliance by certain New Zealand interests with certain United Kingdom interests against the farmer and against the Government of the United Kingdom. ""When this novel of antagonism is favoured, one point that should at least be made clear is just how representative is the organisation. Its name is certainly an impressive and lengthy one, but has the federation more ' enrolled members on its books than it has words in its name."