Patea & Waverley Press FRIDAY, AUGUST 20, 1937 MR. NASH’S MISSION

Patea Mail, 20 August 1937, Page 2

Patea & Waverley Press FRIDAY, AUGUST 20, 1937 MR. NASH’S MISSION

MANY persons have been wondering what Mr. Nash, New Zealand’s Minister, has accomplished in the course of his somewhat lengthy trip to the Homeland. Though the full results of his mission have yet to be ascertained, there is no denying the fact that if he has failed in every other thing, his effort in connection with the export of meat from this country to Britain, has alone been well worth the tfip. As a result of his negotiations New Zealand is to send 56,200 tons of beef of all types to the United Kingdom, as against 45,800 tons;* which was all that would have been allowed to enter Britain from this country but for Mr. Nash’s efforts. The value of this 25 per cent increase on the shipments that were previously allowed is set down at £300,000, so it will bo seen that the farmers of the Dominion have no reason to be dissatisfied -with Mr. Nash’s mission. In his statement on his arrival in Auckland, Mr. Nash says that this increase in New Zealand’s meat shipments will moan that for the first time for some years the Dominion will not have lo restrict her beef exports to the United Kingdom. Furthermore, for 1938 and 1939 there is every possibility that New Zealand’s allocation will be increased. Mr. Nash goes on to say: “When I first assumed the marketing portfolio, Now Zealand was almost committed to a situation where there would have been a levy on all New Zealand beef entering the United King’dom. For last year freedom from this levy was secured for the period of the beef agreement, which is for three years certain.’’ After referring, to the suggested International Meat Conference Mr. Nash said; “When I left -England mutton and lamb supplies from New Zealand for 1937 were still indefinite and subject to the prospect of a smaller allocation than for 1936. In addition, the freedom from a levy on New Zealand mutton and lamb entering the United Kingdom Avas to expire in August, 1937. I may say immediately that the result of the negotiations during the early months of this year has been to ensure that Noav Zealand is to be free from levy on million and lamb for future years. In addition, the New Zealand mutton and lamb allocation for 1937 is to be the highest in our history, 4,010,000ewt. This result was achieved only after lengthy discussions and the recognition of the essential validity of the New Zealand point of view. Who therefore can say that Mr. Nash’s mission Avas not worth AvhikU A very pleasing feature of Mr. Nash’s visit to tl;e Homeland has been the good-

will slioAvn to him, not only in the United Kingdom, but in Germany, Denmark, Russia, Prance, Canada, the Netherlands, the United States, and even in Panama. As ho very rightly surmises, this friendly spirit in the United Kingdom was largely due to the high reputation of the New Zealand soldiers anil the sportsmanship of the cricket and football teams that visited the Motherland, In addition, while emphasising this spirit of goodwill, Mr. Nash pointed out that it was partly due to the fact that whenever New Zealand’s name was behind a product, that product had been good. That Mr. Nash was not idle while he was away is shown by the formidable list of subjects he had dealt vdth in the course of his journeying*. These subjects included banking, publicity for the Dominion will) its tourist associations and marketing, the prevention of foot and mouth disease, the film industry. State housing, national health insurance, and a host of other things, full reports of which are in the course of preparation. Altogether it would appear that Mr. Nash did not go Home for the purpose of attending social functions and having a good time, but confined himself for practically the whole time to business so that the Dominion and its people might benefit by his visit.