The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. SATURDAY, APRIL 8, 1933. TRADE NEGOTIATIONS.

Hokitika Guardian, 8 April 1933, Page 4

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. SATURDAY, APRIL 8, 1933. TRADE NEGOTIATIONS.

The visit of Mr Massey Greene, the representative of the Australian Government, who is leaving New Zealand to-day, after canning on negotiations with the New Zealand Government foy a revision of trade relations between the tyro countries has had a successful outcome. Qnp result, according to messages from Sydney, is that tiie Australian embargo on potatoes from New Zealand will be lifted in the near future. It is therefore to be accented that the negotiations between the two parties have reached a. satisfactory stage, and that subject to ratification by the respective Parliaments a successful and satisfactory agreement will be reached, one that will ho proof against th 2 . powers which have invoked the embargo in the past. The history of the potato embargo on hot]; sides of the Tasman, is a. classic example of the menace of such prohibitions to general trade. Early in 1927 the Commonwealth Government decided to reimpose this embargo on the ground that the New Zealand product was affected with the disease known as powdery scale. Its Health Department was employed to support the case. Tt was explained that great care had been exercised in New Zealand to prevent the exportation of potatoes affected, though the disease was considered only a skin blemish that did not damage th. s , tuber. Protest was without avail. The embargo was imposed. A few mouths later the New Zealand Government decided to exclude Australian potatoes on exactly the same, ground. Thus for six years each country has been protecting itself with the utmost care against- the other introducing potatoes affected with an Innocuous skin blemish. The influence unon trade has been serious. In 1926 New Zealand was the exporting country, the quantity of potatoes shipped to Australia being over 20,000 tons, valued at'£152,072. The import was trifling. Again in 1925 New Zealand bad the trade, which was worth £23,332. In 1924, however, exports were nil, hut Australian supplies totalled 4314 tons, valued at £51,519. Tt was clearly a. ease of one country supplying the other when the need arose. However, embargo measures were imposed not only to tho detriment of the notato trade- but of general trade. It was stated in a telegram that a complete agreement bad been reached on all points of importance, and this news should prove satisfactory to the people of both countries, whose interests are so much of the same nature, and to whom the recent differences have been the subject of much annoyance and regret.