NAURU ISLAND.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 October 1919, Page 8

NAURU ISLAND.

RATIFICATION OP AGREEMENT. DISCUSSED BY PARLIAMENT. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Nigiht. In the House of Representatives today, Mr. Massey, according to notice, moved: That the House of Representatives of New Zealand in Parliament assembled 1 resolves: This House assents to the ratification of the agreement between His Majesty's Government, His Majesty's Government of the Commonwealth of Australia, and His Majesty's Government ot the Dominion of New Zeala.nd relating to the administration of Nauru and for the mining of phosphate deposits on the island. The operative clauses of the agreement are as follows:

Until the readjustment hereinafter mentioned, each of the three Governments 'shall be entitled to an allotment of the following proportions of phosphates produced or estimated to be produced in each year, namely, United kingdom 42 per cent., Australia 42 per cent., New Zealand lo per cent., provided that such allotment shall be for home consumption for agricultural purposes in the country of allotment and not for export. At the expiration of a period of five years from the coming into force of this agreement and every five years thereafter, the basis of allotment shall be readjusted in accordance with the actual requirements of each country. In moving the motion, Mr. Massey said the agreement had been before Par. liament on several occasions and 'Tien there was practically no adrorse criticism. He did not pretend to say that 16 per cent, of the phosphates produced would always be sufficient for New Zealand's requirements, but he asked the House to remember the agreement provided for a readjustment of the proportion every five years. His diffL eulty was to know what New Zealand would require, as we had not been importing phosphates from Nauru to any extent. The first thing he had to do was to get New Zealand's claim recognised and this had been done. • Of course New Zealand would only pay her share of expenses in proportion to the extent to which she obtained "phosphates. lie thought as soon as we could make the necessary arrangements for shipping the agreement would result in it great; benefit to New ZealandThe phosphates of Nauru were estimated to last 20lt years. They were of better quality than those we had been getting from Japan, and he was confident we would be able to land them from Nauru cheaper than wo had been doing from elsewhere. Imperial legislation was necessary before the agreement became operative, but in the meantime phosphates could be obtained from a company operating on Nauru at the price of £2 per ton of guaranteed quality 84 per cent. For large quantities there would tie a reduction. It would probably cost two millions to extinguish the rights of the company. He was satisfied the- agrcmcnf would be ot great value to New Zealand. Sir Joseph Ward said lie thought we had a complete agreement, though he did not agree with all its details. He considered that the maximum sum to be paid to the comipanv to extinguish its rights should be fixed in the agreement, otherwise, he was afraid the door would be left open to expensive litigation Dr. Newman counselled delay in completing the agreement. He thought the company was likely to get more than their interests were worth. The discussion was interrupted by lite dinner adjournment. In the evening the debate on the I Nauru Island agreement was resumed liy Mr. Wilford, the Hon. D. Buddo, the Hon. G. W. RussellMr. Massev, in reply, objected to the proposal to fix a maximum sum to be paid to the phosphatfe company to extinguish their rights as suggested by Sir Joseph Ward He thought New Zeaami's share would cost us £400,000. At- that price ho considered it would be an exceedingly good bargain. The motion was agreed to on the voices.