RESPONSIBLE MINISTER

Stratford Evening Post, Volume IV, Issue 121, 4 May 1936, Page 6

RESPONSIBLE MINISTER

To Watch New Zealand Interests At London, PRIME MINISTER'S VIEWS. . fo £j hit ■ Si *»i JO* */i*3l3 ni eaolTFteq ion v ! !='w' ; Tress ' Association— Copyright. ■ - : Wellington, May :5. New Zealand's representation at the coming negotiations at London relating to freight contracts and trade agreements was the subject of a statement yesterday hy the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. M, J. Savage, who discussed the necessity of a responsible Minister remaining ai London for an appreciable period rather than making a visit to carry out negotiations 'as quickly as possible regarding freight contracts for the carriage of New Zealand's refrigerated produce, including butter, cheese, meat and fruit, involving more than £3,000,000 a year.

Mr. Savage said New Zealand's case would be dealt with at a conference with overseas ship owners this month by the High Commissioner (Sir James Parr), Dr. R. M. Campbell (economic adviser), Mr. H. E. Davis (London manager of the Dairy Board), Mr. James Begg (a member of the Meat Board now on his way to London), and Mr, Forsyth (London manager of the Meat Producers' Board). Reminded of the coming termination of the trade agreement between Britain and Denmark and subsequent negotiations this year consequent upon the termination of the agreement between Britain and Argentina, the Prime Minister remarked that New Zealand was vitally interested in these matters, though he ouid not see where much could be done until representatives of all parts of the Empire met at London. The probability was that the Imperial Conference would handle these questions. The date had been mentioned as being before the coronation of King Edward but nothing had been definitely decided. "Flying Shot.'' "My own feeling on these important matters," continued the Prime Minister, "is that just a flying shot at them by a Minister going to Britain for a few weeks is not enough. That will probably happen again—and I am not criticising what has been done in the past—but I hope it will lead to something more adequate in the way of. some Minister being able to remain in Britain for a period just as long as the problem remains. "The problems are growing all the time, and the British commonwealth has either to hang together or hang separately, so that it seems to me we must give our representatives reasonable time to get down to realities on the spot. We must have someone on the spot with authority to say, 'That is the position and that is what we will do.' "I do not wish to see a representative without power," Mr. Savage added, "and when an indication was given that one of the British Ministers would visit the Dominion I made the suggestion that he should come with authority, so I am hoping that after the coming Imperial Conference we will be able;to agree '.<> keep representatives in Britain as long as the problem remains, and if we can proceed on those lines we will be capable of doing big things."