AUSTRALIA AND SUBSIDISED SHIPPING

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 68, 22 March 1935, Page 6

AUSTRALIA AND SUBSIDISED SHIPPING

QB. EARL PAGE, the Australian leader of the Country Party, denies that the Australian politicians are unwilling to cooperate with the representatives of New Zealand in dealing with the matter of foreign subsidised shipping competition between Australia, New Zealand and Fiji. But what is this denial worth, seeing that the co-operation has not eventuated? Where is the co-operation? The New Zealand delegates went to Canberra for the purpose of discussing this very subject, and surely to initiate a common policy of action. So far so *good! The discussions on this subject appear to have taken place in Sydney; but what conclusions were arrived at, what action, joint action, that is, was proposed to be taken? A decision was come to, joint action was decided on, an interview was arranged, but the Australian delegates absented themselves. It is for Dr. Earl Page to explain ihat broken interview appointment before he can escape, the charge that he and his colleagues are unwilling to co-operate with the New Zealand Ministers. Mere reference to future discussion is not an explanation of the fact that at the beginning of 1934 the announcement was made that the Australian Government intended to do something, and has yet been successful in evading the initiation of action. The question is a serious one and should not be treated in the way it is bein'g treated. It is possibly difficult for the Dominion of New Zealand to act by itself, but for the sake of forcing the hand of the dilatory politicians of Australia, New Zealand should contemplate taking a line of its own and dragging Australia along with it,