COMMERCIAL RELATIONS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1684, 26 February 1913, Page 6

COMMERCIAL RELATIONS.

STATEMENT; 13Y MR, FISHER. . ■ ; (By .Toleiraph.—Pross Association.) '. i " Auckland, February 25. Negotiations toward more cordial com# mereial relations .among the overs&as. Dominions lmvo. been proceeding by, correspondence for some months. They will bo tho teubject of two important confcrenoca \ in Melbourne nest, month, 'which will bo ; ottondc-d by representatives of Canada, Aitslralia, and New Zealand: Intor-liado relations haVo been, MsousseiV among thesa ... t'lircc countries and also ■South Africa.,lt v was hoped that the "Union Government would I>9 represented at tho forthcoming ; ■ conference, l>ut apparently the political 'crisis which ( has 1 arisen owing. ■to a . sharp difference : between General i Ifertzog and General Botha has made] it difficult for any members'of the . Union ._ Govpr»me)it to visit Australia. Tlio delegates to the conferchcc will be tho Hon, ' G.E.-Foster'(Minister for 'Trade hnd ' < Customs ill the Canadian Government)," " tho Hon. Andrew Fisher (Prime Minister iof Australia), and the lion. F. M. B. Fisher (Minister for Customs in the Now Zealand Government). Mr. .Fisher will leave New Zealand ~fcr Melbourne on March 2i. Ono conference will ho between Australia and New Zealand. J Its purport is primarily to' aehibve trad® reciprocity ■ between tho two countries. Questions regarding Uio'pensions systems of Australia and Now Zealand will also be discussed: , witli a v\ew to effecting some! reciprocal arrangement. Discussing tho larger conference to-day. Mr. Fisher said that it had been arranged • at the suggestion, of .tho New ; Zealand Government. 1 It was unfortunate that no , repix'sjiitntivo of South Africa' would bo . piesent', but tho four Governments had all expressed hopes that, the conference would f bo successful in drawing the Overseas Do- ' ■ minions into closer; trado rclntionfchip. v 'Questions relating to tho tariffs of the 'four'.countries..'nnd interchange of goods ;< would*be .tho principal'.matters .for con-, sideration. ' . ■ ' ' ■ "There, is one important matter which I hope will be discussed," said' Mr. Fisher; ■ "that is the fact that great difficulty is experienced-by niany New Zealand snipi pers in obtaining space in vesiels of tli6 Vancouver scrvico. i The Union. Steamship Company at present holds tho key of . (ho position. • For. a long time tlio New-: Zealand Government has been subsidising tho service.' but the I bulk'of the cargo space has been, filial with Australian produce, though the Commonwealth Government makes no - contribution, towards ■■ thi mainlonanco of Ihe service. I think it . is about time .wo took'care in New Zealand that while 1 our subsidy is continued ' r a fair share of available space should bo ; secured for' New Zealand.' shipments. Without regular access to 6paco.it is practically impossibto to build up permanent! trado bftwcoiv tho two Dominions."