INTER-TRADE RELATIONS

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8365, 27 February 1913, Page 11

INTER-TRADE RELATIONS

CONFERENCES IN MELBOURNE. Press Association. AUCKLAND, February 25. Negotiations toward the more cordial commercial relations among overseas Dominions have been proceeding by correspondence for some months. They will be the subject of two important conferences in Melbourne next, month, which will be attended by the representatives of Canada, Australia, and Hew Zealand. Inbertrade relations have been discussed among these three countries and also South Africa. It was hoped that the Union Government would bo represented at the forthcoming conference, but apparently the political crisis _ which has arisen owing to the sharp difference betwen General. Hersstog and General Botha: has made it difficult for any, members of the Union Government to visit Australia. The delegates to the conference will be the Hon. G. B. Foster (Minister of Trade and Customs in the Canadian Government), the Hon. Andrew Fisher (Prime Minister of Australia), and the Hon. F. M. B. Fisher (Minister of Customs in the New Zealand Government).- Mr Fisher will leave Now Zealand for Melbourne on March 24th. One conference will be between Australia and New Zealand.' Its purport is primarily to achieve trade reciprocity between the two countries. Questions regarding the pensions systems of Australia and New Zealand will be discussed with a view to eUeoting some reciprocal arrangement. In discussing the larger conference, today Mr Fisher said that it had been arranged at the suggestion of the New Zealand Government, it was unfortunate that no representatives of South Africa would be present, but the four Governments had all expressed hopes that the conference would be successful in drawing ‘ the overseas Dominions into closer trade relationship. Questions relating to the tariffs of the four countries and interchange of goods would be the principal matters for consideration. "There is one important matter which 1 hope will be discussed," said Mr Fisher. "That is the fact that great difficulty is experienced by -many New Zealand shippers in obtaining space in vessels ot the Vancouver service. The Union Steam Snip Co. at present holds the bey of the position. Tor a long time the New Zealand Government has been subsidising the service, but the bulk of cargo space has been filled with Australian produce, though the Commonwealth Govornmeiit makes no contribution towards the maintenance of the I think it is about time we took care in New Zealand that while our subsidy is continued a fair share of available space should be secuied for New Zealand shipments. Without regular access to space it is practically impossible to build up a permanent trad© between the two Dominion*.