MR. FISHER'S VISIT TO AUSTRALIA.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1720, 10 April 1913, Page 9

MR. FISHER'S VISIT TO AUSTRALIA.

TRADE AND DEFENGE

NAVAL POLICY.

INTERVIEW WITH MR TUDOII

Tho Hon. F. M. IS. Fisher, Minister for Customs and Marino in Now Zealand, arrived in Melbourne by tho steamer Loonghna on April 2 from Tasmania. Mr. Fisher was accompanied by his sister, Mrs. M'Ewaii, the Secretary for Customs' in New Zealand (Mr. W. B. Montgomery), and Miss Montgomery, and his private secretary (Mr. Ilall). He expected to spend about a fortnight in Melbourno before going on to Sydney. ' The question of reciprocal trado relations between tho outlying parts of tho Empire, and more particularly 'Australia, Canada, and New Zealand, is what has chiefly brought Mr. Fisher to Australia (says tha ' "Argus"). Seven years ago tho lato Mr. Scddon, then Prime Minister •of tho Dominion, camo to tlio Commonwealth on a-somewhat similar mission. A conference is to bp held within tho next week or two, probably in Melbourne, between the Australian Minister for' Customs (Mr. Tudor), the Canadian Minister for Commerce (Mr. G. E.: Foster), who k -visiting Australia with the Empire Trade Commission, and Mr. Fisher on this, subject of reciprocity, and also -in regard to; a proposal for the adoption of a more uniform' procedure in dealing with imported goods' by tho Customs Departments throughout the Empire, and the introduction if . possiblo of a standard form of invoice.., i \ South Africa was invited to send a representative to tho conference, but it replied that it was .unable to do so on account of the complex, condition of its internal politics just now.- . Australia does not at' present make any concession to New Zealand producers over ■those .of foreign countries. It does not .allow even the 5 per . cent, preference given to many British articles under the Commonwealth tariff., Mr. Fisher pointed .out.during an interview, that Australia practically penalised New Zealand goods by. a 5 per cent, charge, as compared with those from Great Britain. ■ Commonwealth Ministry,"- he added, "is aiijioUs to have reciprocity with New Zealand, as regards defence. It is •surely at least equally desirable that we: should meet one another on friendly terms so far as .trade is concerned. -I admit that there, are, of .course; certain difficulties' in the way, but they should not be unsurmountable. Australia is on the fame side of the Equator as New Zealand, and our primary products, are largely the same,- Our winter and summer seasons coincide. It is not therefore so easy perhaps to find so many articles uiioii' which, reciprocity may bo worth while. ' With Canada it is different. - For instance, we. are. able to send to Canada great ..quantities of butter at tlio time of the year when .she is compelled to rely upon her cold storage supplies." '. When questioned regarding the Dominion naval; policy, which is made of special interest to Australians just now by the presence of the Dreadnought cruiser New Zealand in Hob&on's Bay,, Mr. Fisher said that lie had somo difficulty in speaking on this subject 1 at the present juncture because of the: fact that. there had been a' eliango in the "Administration in his country since; the last Imperial Conference, at'which, its policy'.was laid, down: At .tho' conference the delegates to . the Imperial Defence Committee were' Sir Joseph. Ward and Sir John Findlay, and' they received' information under a 'bond of secrecy which they had been unable to disclose to-the Ministry, which had succeeded 'them'in office. It had therefore bec!om6 necessary for the new Minister for Defehco. to visit England and confer ■with' the.'lmperial authorities. . His visit ■was connected to ;somo extent with iil.itters of finance,, but. he was also to. obtain for the. 3liniiiftqK.Hi{i of an important 'character' fitich'-'it'Miad no other menus of ascertaining. He' would return to'. New Zealand, in tho middle of the»;'.year,.' and. until' that time the New Zealand Ministry'.\voiild_ be hardly able .to expound its'naval policy. : The question whether the Dominion should .continue its policy of contributing towards, the' British navy, or. should join with Australia in a joint scheme of naval defence, had not, Mr. Fisher said, loomed very liirgo in Now Zealand up to tlio present. , For some inexplicable: reason, its Parliament had for years past been denied the.opportunity of expressing itself fully upon Imperial questions. , It had been the', practice of the previous Prime Ministers, including Sir Joseph Ward, to act such matters without consulting Parliament. It was, therefore,, impossible. to state exactly what was the feeling of the New Zealand Parliament on the subject. . His own views, and those ■of the. present Minister for Defence, on this question were on reqord in Hansard, but whether the future policy of NewZealand would follow upon the general lines they had laid down as private members, before tho present Ministry was formed, remained, of course, to bo seen. INTERVIEW WITH MR. TUDOR. Mr. Fisher paid an official call at tho 'Customs' Department, and had . a preliminary chat with the.Minister (Mr. Tudor), the interview:lasting.about half an hour. It was arranged that a further conference should be held.. . _ i • Speaking with' reference to. the mattei\ Mr. Tudor said that ho 'believed Mr. Fisher had como to' Australia with, ideas of his own, and. was prepared to put them forward. So far as ho could learn, when the , question of reciprocity was brought up on a previous occasion, tho .Commissioner -concerned • did not have a free hand, and the proposals which he eventually submitted to the New Zealand Government were "turned down" by a committee appointed to inquire into them, in spite of the fact that the Federal Par-, liament had agreed. So far as Mr. Tudor knew, any reciprocal arrangement would apply to special items only, and not to'the'general tariff. _ Under any conditions, the Minister said, ho personally-would not be able to enter into any .binding arrangement, as the proposals would first have-to be submitted to the 'Cabinet, and afterwards to Parliament '.for. confirmation. In New Zealand,, howsever,/machinery was ■ in existence which would!permit of any reciprocal arrangement being brought into operation' by proclamation without waiting for Parliamentary approval.- It was not intended, so far as he knew, 'that there should ho the same tariff duties on articles; but the idea would be, perhaps, for each country to treat the other as "tho most favoured nation." : The Minister pointed otic that, as a matter of fact, the exports of both Australia and New Zealand wcro practically tlio same, namely, wool, meat; and butter. , "THE STEEI, T/TNIC Ol 1 ' RECIPROCAL TRADE." Mr. Fisher, in the courso of an interview with an "Ago" representative, said that he had no formal scheme prepared. Tho members of tho Government had left him a free hand in tho negotiations, though he had his own conception of what .it was practicable to do. No doubt Mr, ,Tudor also had. a list of items which he was prepared to discuss. "Wo in Now Zealand," added Mr. Fisher,' "have a feeling that tlio Aus--tralian tariff is operating against us, at the present time, and that there is a preference in favour of English goods.as against New Zealand gcods. We are anxious'for closer trade relationship not only between Australia and New Zealand, but between Australia and Canada, and New Zealand and Cilnada, and also Soulh Africa. "There are also other matters," continued Mr. Fisher, "that require to Indealt, with-. [ am anxious to make in-Vuii-ies inlo I lie t'lr't'hii at laws of the Commonwealth and the various States. I. 'want, if if is possible- to do it. to discuss ■the question of reciprocity in old age psnsions with Die Prime Minister of the Commonwealth. There is also the question of the permanent maintenance of the wireless station on the- Maeqnario Island, a subject upon which the New Zealand Government has already approached tlio Commonwealth Ministry. I liavo a strong feeling persniinlly that whilst what is called thu crimson thread of kinship is a very strong bond between English-speaking communities, the steel link of reciprocal- trade is just the

tiling required to keep liic difiVrenL portions of tho Umpire- together." lleferriug to the question of defence, Mr. Fisher said: "Personally, I believe I hi' lime will coine, and that it i.s not far distant, when we shall realise'that the cuily solution of Iho question of defence is going to b'j ,l>y the co-operation of tlio defence forces of (he whole of Austrnlasin. As J. have already indicated, however, we think it would bo wise for us to with-, hold our judgment until we are apprised of tho information which our Minister l'or Defence is obtaining for us."