MARKETING IN BRITAIN

Wairarapa Age, 7 May 1934, Page 5

MARKETING IN BRITAIN

NEW ZEALAND MINISTERS & MR. BRUCE. CONFERENCE IN AUCKLAND. AN OFFICIAL STATEMENT. AUCKLAND, May 6. An important conference took place yesterday between the Rt. Hon. S. M. Bruce, Australian High Commissioner, and the Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes), the Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates and the Hon. R. Masters. Mr. Bruce was passing through Auckland en route from Sydney to London and from' the time he left the liner Monterey after breakfast, until he rejoined the steamer in the afternoon, he was engaged with the New Zealand Ministers in a private conference. Subsequently the following joint statement was issued by Messrs. Forbes and Coates:— Advantage was taken of the opportunity presented by the visit of thaHigh' Commissioner of Australia (Mr.' Bruch) for New Zealand Ministers to meet him. in an informal discussion of problems of common interest to the Commonwealth and the Dominion. Mr. Bruce gave the New Zealand Ministers a first-hand account of recent developments and the outlook as viewed by him in world economic conditions and in the position of the United Kingdom. His summary was of very great interest and value to the New Zealand Ministers. It -bore out and amplified the conclusions they themselves had formed as a result of personal discussions and contacts with the British Government and the trend of more recent events. The rush on to the markets of the United Kingdom of the world’s surplus products had led. her to .adopt new and experimental courses which were of direct concert to and called for some co-operation by Empire-supplying countries. Mr. Bruce also discussed trends in Australia in regard to -beef, mutton and lamb, dairy produce, wool research and publicity and- fruit, and while not, of course, able to give any precise forecast of future developments there, whether in the matter of regulation of marketing or otherwise, he was helpful to the New Zealand Ministers in better appreciating the viewpoint of Australia. He made it clear that steps had been taken, as an outcome of his visit to Australia, to set up committees representative of producers in the various States. It was agreed by all the Ministers that any policy that looked to an improvement of market conditions must be based on full co-opera-tion between overseas producers and farmers in the United Kingdom. The removing of any misunderstanding of their common interests was regarded as a most important part of the task ahead. The various points that were the subject of discussion in the brief time available in Auckland are to be followed up by and through the High Commissioners in London. They will jointly place the facts before the British Government and will carry on discussions there while keeping in constant touch with their Governments at this end of the world.’*—(P.A.)