TO BE RESUMED

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18579, 13 December 1934, Page 5

TO BE RESUMED

TRADE NEGOTIATIONS AUSTRALIA AND N.Z. VISIT TO BE RETURNED (Elec. Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.) SYDNEY, Dec. 12. Two Australian Ministers will visit New Zealand next March to continue the discussions for a trade agreement. The Prime Minister, Mr .1. A. Lyons, made that announcement to-day after a further conference between the Australian and New Zealand trade delegations in Sydney. Mr J. G. Coates said that a mutual arrangement, which could not be disclosed, would help to carry on trade between the two 'countries in the meantime.

It is understood that 'the reason for deferring the trade talks until March is to enable Mr Lyons and certain of his colleagues to reconcile the differences between the potato growers and the citrus growers, who are using considerable political pressure, the former desiring to. keep out New Zealand potatoes, and the latter being most anxious to find an outlet in New Zealand for their surplus products. The Prime Minister is hopeful that most of the work which will pave the way for a better understanding will have been accomplished by March, and the ground sufficiently well prepared to ensure a real agreement upon matters which at present are impossible of settlement.

VALUE OF CONTACT Mr R. Masters, interviewed to-night by the Press Association, emphasised that the visit of Mr Coates and himself to Australia had proved the value of direct contact between the leaders of the Governments of 'both countries. He personally had availed himself of opportunities for investigating and inspecting a number of the more important factories in Victoria and New South Wales, and the knowledge thus acquired would be of great service when matters concerning the development of New Zealand manufacturing enterprises were under consideration.

As Minister for Industry and Commerce he bad been privileged to study direct communications between Australia and the East, and the facilities .afforded for trade between the two countries, and he made preliminary inquiries with* a view to .the establishment of a direct service from New Zealand to the East. * *

Mr Masters expressed the opinion that it would be a great advantage if more frequent visits were exchanged by Ministers of the Crown between the Commonwealth and the Dominion. A protest against any alteration of the existing embargo against the importation of potatoes into Australia has keen sent to the Prime Minister by Tasmanian senators.

In a telegram to Mr. Lyons, the senators say they are seriously perturbed at press reports that in reopening the negotiations with New Zealand there may be interference with the potato embargo, adding that any admission of additional potatoes into Australia would be disastrous for Tasmania. Potato production in Tasmania is one of its best industries, and must be preserved at all costs. The loss of the market for potatoes would mean a very considerable increase in the unemployment figures, which would thus gravely embarrass the State.