L—l3A,

regard to sugar, but as the result of negotiations extending over a considerable period our client has now been given the best possible terms for sugar, and as you probably know the Colonial Sugar Company is probably one of the most conservative in Australasia and it is not likely that they would have taken this action without the fullest consideration. So far as we can see the letter to the Board fairly sets out the position. If we had known of it in time it would have been sent through yourself. Mr. Sutherland is to-day leaving for a month's holiday and if by any chance, not that we anticipate it, the Board is perturbed at having further representations through Mr. Sutherland and on his behalf, we trust that you will see that they make some allowance for our client's state of health. He is in a highly strained and nervous condition and this business has caused him a very great deal of anxiety. Yours truly, O. & R. Beere & Co.

2059 WELLINGTON NZ 30 18 1135 J H Miles 18th July, 1935. Care Bank New Zealand Sydney Under best treatment could buy Australian products thirty thousand pounds excluding dried fruits twenty thousand pounds and sugar eighty five thousand pounds Sutherland.

Extracts from Tenth Annual Report oe The Commonwealth Dried Eruits Control Board dated 31st July, 1934. The development of substantial markets in the Dominions of Canada and New Zealand is of supreme importance by reason of the fact that the consuming power of these sister Dominions is such that at least 20,000 tons of dried vine fruits might be taken from the Australian producer, and especially so under existing preference tariffs. The importance of these markets in relieving the weight or pressure of supplies on the United Kingdom markets must be self-evident inasmuch as trade to this extent would reduce the quantity which must go to the British market which, by reason of the high aggregate consumption is the ultimate dumping ground for the export surplus of the Mediterranean, Asiatic, and American producers. The Board is gratified that during the last few years the Dominion markets indicated have afforded considerable relief to the situation by the absorption in Canada and New Zealand of some 12,500 to 15,000 tons per annum. :j« :)« sjs :jc sts sj; In view of the position indicated above it is evident that the future of the Australian dried fruit industry in its present dimensions lies in the maintenance of Imperial preference and (hat any change which would tend to diminish the preference granted in the British, Canadian and now, happily, also in the New Zealand market would have farreaching and disastrous results to the dried-fruit industry in the Commonwealth. Extracts erom Trade Agreement between Australia and New Zealand. (Correspondence.) Australian Trade Delegation, Midland Hotel, Wellington, N.Z., The Right Hon. J. G. Coates, P.C., M.C., Wellington. 6th April, 1933. My Dear Minister, In consideration of the imposition of a duty of one penny per lb. upon the importation into New Zealand of foreign sultanas and lexias such duty being designed and intended to secure the whole of the market to fruit of this class from Empire sources, I hereby give on behalf of the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia an undertaking to your Government in the following terms : — 3. That it would be farther understood that the Australian Government would not expect the duty to be maintained against foreign supplies of these goods if the Australian industry is at any time unable or refuses to supply or refrains from supplying all the reasonable requirements of New Zealand. :(; sj; sjs s|c :J;» $ 5. That the Australian Government would agree that in the consideration of the foregoing conditions the New Zealand Government might have regard to all and any circumstances which in the opinion of the Government of New Zealand have at any time a bearing upon the matter of the prices at which and the terms and conditions upon which supplies of these goods are or may reasonably be purchased by importers in New Zealand. (Signed) W. Massey Greene, Leader of Trade Delegation of New Zealand.

Evidence of Mr. B. Sutherland. Mr. O'Leary: Mr. Sutherland in his evidence is going to refer to prices, and so on. I have got these schedules, which I would like to put before members. Your name is Benjamin Sutherland ? —Yes. And you are a resident of Wellington ? —Yes. You have you evidence in typed form and you desire to read it ?—Yes. 7th October, 193.5. Evidence oe B. Sutherland. My name is Benjamin Sutherland. I am the founder and managing director of Self-Help Co-op., Ltd., a firm of retail grocers with 145 stores throughout New Zealand. We operate as far south as Invercargill and as far north as Whangarei. Thirteen years ago I resigned from the clerical division of the New Zealand Railway Department after thirty-two years service, and founded the Self-Help Co-op., Ltd. My reason for founding the Self-Help Co-op., Ltd., was that, owing to the exorbitant charges made by the master grocers in Wellington, the pay of a railway employee was not then sufficient to make both ends meet. The huge profit on a7O lb. bag of sugar—sold as a bag and not in broken quantities—was 3s. 6d. Every one thought that my business could not last when I brought the retail profit on a bag of sugar down to Is. That profit has now been practically stabilized at 9d., and is working in a quite satisfactory manner.

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