TRADE POSITION CRITICAL

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVI, Issue 22935, 4 July 1944, Page 4

TRADE POSITION CRITICAL

Claim By Mr Holland (N.Z.P.A.) WELLINGTON, July 3. Current political questions covering a wide range w’ere discussed at to-day’s caucus of the Parliamentary section of the National Party. The caucus, which was presided over by the Leader of the Opposition (Mr S. G. Holland) concluded its business late in the afternoon. A strong protest was registered by members against the Government's decision to hold in private inquiries into the conduct of soldiers’ voting at the General Election and into the engineering and workmanship and waste of public money on the faulty Turakina and Fordell Tunnels. The action of Mr Holland in immediately protesting to the Government was fully endorsed and, in further protesting, the caucus expressed the opinion that the matters involved were of such importance to the public that nothingshould be withheld from the people. After Mr Holland had reported on his recent tour from Kaitaia to Dunedin on a drive for the greater production of foodstuffs to assist Britain's war effort, members reported a response everywhere. They expressed their appreciation to him for his work and the results assured, and undertook individually to further the campaign wherever possible. Following the recent informative tour made of Auckland industries by a group of members, arrangements were made for visits to a number of Wellington factories, extending over three days from to-morrow, by another group who will further study the conditions of workers and the problems of industrialists. Overseas Trade

A resolve to continue to press for the establishment of equilibrium between the export and import price levels of the Dominion was made by the caucus.

“The caucus considered the reports of special committees dealing with the present critical condition of our overseas trade, which has resulted in the need for two leading Ministers and two of the principal financial and trade experts of the Dominion to visit London in an effort to overcome the results of the mishandling of the sale of our produce overseas,” said Mr Holland after the caucus. Opposition members, he said, would welcome an agreement for the future disposal of New Zealand’s export products at prices and conditions to be mutually agreed upon, and covering a reasonable period of time Thev particularly stressed the need for establishing an equilibrium between the price level of products exported and the price level of goods imported. They demanded that nothing final should be reached by those negotiating an agreement without Parliament first being given ample opportunities of full debate and consideration of the whole question of trade in the light of all available information. “This is a question of supreme importance to New Zealand, as the prosperity and welfare of the people will be materially affected by any long term agreement covering the disposal of our exportable surpluses,” said Mr Holland.