CONCENTRATED WORK

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 221, 18 August 1937, Page 10

CONCENTRATED WORK

MR NASH AT PANAMA. THREE CROWDED DAYS. (Special Correspondent.) The least time in travelling and the most time at work were still features of the return journey through Panama of New Zealand’s .Minister of Finance ancl Marketing, Hon. Walter Nash. By prior discussion with the British Ambassador ancl the State Department at Washington, Mr Nash had arranged to make the most of every hour of his time while in the Panama region.

The ten-mile wide strip of the Republic of Panama traversed by the Canal is leased permanently to the United States. In this Canal Zone there is a population of 40,000 entirely engaged in maintaining the services or policy of the Canal. Tl)e needs of the employees are supplied by the Zone authorities, who operate on business lines cold storage plants, abattoirs, various • manufacturing plants, wholesale warehouses and retail stores. The principal towns ill the Zono are Cristobal, on the Atlantic side, and Balboa, on the Pacific. The adjoining and corresponding Panamanian towns are Colon and Panama City- ~ , The following gives some idea or what a Minister has sometimes to crowd into a day: At 8 o’clock in the morning of the Wednesday, Mr Nash, having risen at 3.30 a.m., arrived at Cristobal. He was met by the British Vice-Consul and a representative of the Canal Zone Authority. After some preliminary discussion Mr Nash left by ’plane for Balboa, 48 miles away, which he reached shortly after 9 o’clock. At the airport he was met by the British Minister, Hon. F. E. Adam, the Commercial Attache to the United States Legation, the Director of Civil -Aviation, and a representative of the Governor of the Zone. At 10 o’clock Mr Nash called at the British Legation, where he met the British Consul' and Commercial Attache, and discussed with them the trade position and the Customs tariff of the Republic of Panama. At 11 o’clock Mr Nash called on Senor Jose E. Lefevre, Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Panama Government, and Senor Don Juan Chevalier, Undersecretary for Foreign Affairs. Later, the New Zealand Minister called on the President of the Republic or Panama. Mr Nash lunched with the British Minister who also had as his guests naval ratings from the United States gunboat Charleston, and from H.M.S. Leander. . . At 2.30 Mr. Nash was enquiring as to banking facilities with one of the principal banks at Panama, and at 3 o’clock had called oh Colonel Ck S. Ridley, the Governor of the Canal Zone. Official calls being over, Mr Nash at 4 o’clock was discussing mutual trade with the Panamanian Minister of Commerce. At 6 p.m. Mr Nash attended a reception given by the United States naval commandant to the officers of H.M.S. Leander. He dined in the evening at the British Legation. \ TRADE POSSIBILITIES.

The Thursday was similarly occupied with appointments and discussions. At 9 a.m. Mr Nash was discussing with the Governor of the Canal Zone and his officials the detailed trade possibilities for New Zealand produce. Both the Panama Republic and the Canal Zone already take a substantial amount of New Zealand blitter, and this is almost exclusively sold in the Zone in the retail shops. The Zone Authorities have to give a preference to produce of the United States, but even with this preference United States suppliers cannot meet New Zealand competition, particularly as a superior article is supplied. The possibilities of further trade, not only in dairy product, but m meat, truit and other products, were fully explored in Mr Nash’s talks. During the morning Mr Nash visited the Canal Zone shops to see how New Zealand butter was retailed, tie was particularly interested in c ° ol storage facilities. Later Mr Nash examined with the superintendent of the Canal Zone Hospital and his administrative officers the health services and hospital procedure of the Zone. especially was he interested in finance and administration. . , Mr Nash lunched with Admiral Williams of the Charleston and Captain Rivett-Carnae and' officers of the Leander. During the afternoon ti e Minister discussed with the president and secretary of the Panama Chamber of Commerce the position of New Zealand trade and the prospects of ncreasing it. Later, he met several individual merchants and talked over with them particular aspects of the trade. At the reception on the Leander, which he attended, Mr Nash reviewed the Panama trade position with the Canadian Trade Commissioner. In the evening a dinner was tendered Mr Nash at the Union Club by the United States Charge d Affaires. In the early morning of Friday, the New Zealand Minister, accompanied by the Deputy Governor of the Canal Zone and the Chief Engineer inspected the Miraflores locks and the flood control and hydro-electricity development at the Madden Dam across the Chagres River. This power plant is supplementary to the generating stations already supplying the Canal Zone, while the main purpose ot the dam is to increase the reserve water supply for lock operation and to maintain adequate depth for navigation during. the. four months of tlie dry S6 Later in the morning Mr Nash met representatives of the shipping companies operating through the Canal, and also a representative of the cable company. The Minister left at 1.10 by train for Cristobal. He was farewelled by the British Minister, the British Commercial Attache and Consul, and the United vStates Charge d Affaires. In Cristobal Mr Nash conferred with the British Vice-Consul and the manager of the Canal Zone Commissary, and during the afternoon inspected the cool store and warehouse facilities at Colon and Cristobal, and also discussed with the main trading company at Colon the extension of trade with New Zealand. As a result of this and other discussions Mr Nash forecasts an expansion of trade in all our products for which Panama is a consumer. . . , „ , , The Minister joined the Mntaroa at seven in tho evening. The three days he had been able to fit in at Panama had been well worth while. Not only had fresh ground been broken for increased facilities for New Zealand entry into the Panama market, but the ground had been surveyed to see what possibilities Panama offered as a distributing centre for Central, and. to some extent, South America.