Closer Interest

Australia Takes Closer Interest In NG Trade

From a Correspondent

Canberra

Australian Government rried about the way in other countries are mov -0 the worth-while Papua- Juinea market. is getting an increasing re of the imports of manu goods.

Zealand, faced with Common dangers in its traditional sales 1 the United Kingdom, is be increasingly aggressive in foodstuffs to the Pacific, lunter these trends, the Aus- Government has sent its

newly-appointed Trade Commissioner to the Pacific, Mr. D. M. Walker, on a five-weeks’ market survey of both Australian and Dutch New Guinea He is spending the whole of Nov ember in the area for talks with traders in all main centres.

New Guinea trade is not peanuts so far as Australia is concerned. Last year it was worth £2O million.

In the House of Representatives last month, Mr. Bruce Wight (Liberal, Qld.) expressed concern at the way in which Queensland in dustrialists were unable to compete with European and Asian suppliers

when tenders were called by the P NG Administration.

He pointed out that the Asians had the advantage of cheaper labour, and the Europeans that of lower freights.

Freight rates were lower from Europe than from Queensland, the closest industrial area to P-NG.

Mr. Wight suggested special con sideration for Australian tenderers.

The Territories Minister, Mr.

Hasluck, replied that all tenderers outside P-NG were on the same level. Tenders were quoted, duty paid, at port of delivery.