N.Z. WILLING TO LIFT EMBARGO

Southland Times, Issue 23736, 7 February 1939, Page 7

N.Z. WILLING TO LIFT EMBARGO

CITRUS FRUIT FROM N.S.W.

RECIPROCAL AUSTRALIAN MOVE AWAITED

(United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright) (Received February 6, 10.40 p.m.) SYDNEY, February 6.

Mr R. B. Walker, M.P., who was in New Zealand last December, speaking at a meeting of citrus fruit growers said the New Zealand Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage) had told him that if Australia would show the slightest willingness to discuss the embargo on New Zealand potatoes off would come New Zealand’s restriction on New South Wales citrus fruit.

The meeting, which consisted of representatives of the recent conference of citrus growers, formed an “Embargo Abolition League of Australia.”

Mr Walker, who returned to Sydney by the Monterey on December 26. gave The Sun an interview on his talks with Mr Savage on the potato and citrus fruit embargoes, in which he emphasized that the Commonwealth had adopted an unreasonable attitude on the embargo on New Zealand potatoes. He explained how the trouble could be overcome and the extent to which Mr Savage was prepared to reciprocate. Mr Walker represents a big citrus-grow-ing electorate, which Includes Gosford and the Hawkesbury river.

MR SAVAGE URGES COOPERATION

CONVERSATION WITH MR WALKER (United Press Association) WELLINGTON, February 6. “The statement by Mr Walker is substantially correct,” said the Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage) when the cable message from Sydney was brought to his notice this evening. .“I told him New Zealand would go as far as Australia was prepared to go. After all, we should be able to rise higher than potatoes or fruit. If there were war Australia and New Zealand would be standing together and I cannot see why we should not be able to do the same in trade.”