MUTUAL INTERESTS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27450, 25 July 1950, Page 4

MUTUAL INTERESTS

BRITAIN AND DOMINION DISCUSSED BY MINISTER An assurance that the British Government was not trying to “freeze” New Zealand out of its overseas markets was given by the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations, Mr P. C. GordonWalker, at a press conference in Dunedin last nigfit. Mr Gordon-Walker, who arrived in the city yesterday in the course of a brief tour of the country, also referred to the Korean situation, the Pacific Pact and emigration to the Dominion by British subjects.

The United Kingdom Governments view was that a fair price should be paid for New Zealand produce, Mr Gordon-Walker said, but it intended to watch the interests of the consumer in its transactions. “We have always found New Zealand ready to drive a fairly hard bargain,” he said, but an agreement satisfactory to both countries has usually been reached. The importance of our long-term policy is sometimes overlooked for under it both the producer and the consumer are assured of a lasting market. The consumer is protected from excessive prices and the producer is guaranteed a ready outlet for his goods. Referring to the situation in Korea, Mr Gordon-Walker said that there was no reason to believe that the British Government would give a lean to the dominions in the course to be taken. “We have all got to make up our minds in our own time,’ he said, “ and . any subsequent policy will depend on consultation between the respective countries. “ Britain is very fully occupied with the war in Malaya,” he continued, “and although the war in Korea will most likely be a longish affair the Americans are certainly strong enough to win it. The problem of Communist aggression throughout Asia is very complicated and must be considered as a whole. The matter of further help in that war needs, therefore, much careful thought.” One thing, however, was very clear—such aggression had to be stopped. Tfcas was the feeling in Britain when the war broke out and the people there were glad to know that the world had finally decided to make a stand against it. There had, apparently, been some misunderstanding about the attitude of his Government towards the proposal for a Pacific Pact, Mr Gordon-Walker said when this 1 matter was raised at the conference. The proposal had been disposed of cursorily in the House of Commons merely because it was brought up at question time. _ It was difficult to deal with such important matters in this comparatively restricted period and a refusal to hold a discussion was quite in order. Making a brief reference to immigration, Mr Gordon-Walker described a recent suggestion of mass emigration from a country such as Britain as “Utopian.” It would be to costly and would be almost impossible to handle satisfactorily. His Government was anxious to help people who wanted to leave Britain to come to New Zealand even though they were all needed in their homeland. Contrary to opinions often expressed, Britain, was not over-popu-lated and the Government was gratified with the present trend of the birth rate, which was increasing. Providing the increase was maintained a solution might be found, for possibly 100,000 people could' emigrate each year without seriously affecting the position in Britain.