NOTED VISITOR

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22260, 7 November 1935, Page 14

NOTED VISITOR

SIR FREDERICK H. TOUT PROMINENT BUSINESS MAN OUTLOOK FOR PRODUCERS A prominent passenger on the Wangnnella, which arrived from Sydney yesterday, was Sir Frederick H. Tout, M.L.C.j of New South Wales. Ho is accompanied by his son, Mr. S. F. Tout, and they are at the Grand Hotel.

Sir Frederick, who was knighted by tho King earlier this year, is a solicitor by profession and a member of tho New South Wales Legislative Council. He was a member of the Australian delegation to tho Ottawa Conference. He also has extensive farming interests in New South Wales and for five years was president of tho Graziers' Association for tho State. In addition, Sir Frederick is a member of the principal board of the Australian Mutual Provident Society. It is on. the business of tho society that he is visiting tho Dominion, where ho will remain until November 29 before returning to Sydney. On arrival yesterday, the visitor was met by Sir William Hunt, deputy-chairman of the New Zealand board of directors, Mr. A. W. Sneddon, general manager of the society, with headquarters in Sydney; Mr. W. T. lkin, manager for New Zealand; and Mr. C. G. Johnson, Auckland district manager. Tho Ottawa Agreement had been extremely beneficial to the primary producers of Australia and New Zealand, said Sir Frederick. Referring to the high rate of exchange, he said he had always been opposed to it. The rate of exchange, in his opinion, should not bo " pegged " and should be allowed to find its own level automatically. In spite of a dry spell in a large portion of Queensland and New South Wales, Sir Frederick thought that with tho higher nrices now ruling sheep and cattle would show a reasonable return to farmers this season. Although a largo quantity of wool had been destroyed by a recent fire in Sydney, the amount was not sufficiently large to result, in an increase in prices on that account.