The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 1887. TRADE WITH THE UNITED STATES.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1527, 7 April 1887, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 1887. TRADE WITH THE UNITED STATES.

The " Australasian and South American," m publishing extracts from a letter written by Sir Robert Stout to the Premier of Canada on the subject of the desirableness of the extension of commerce between the Dominion and New Zealandi takes occasion to urge upon the Government and people of the United States the advantages of cultivating closer commercial relations with this colony. That journal says :— 11 It should be the object of the United States — and they can really afford New Zealand a much better market for its produce than Canada probably ever will — to improve on their present condition m this respect. At present we are buying kauri through both English and German houses ; why not purchase direct from New Zealand, even if we have to ship via London ? By reducing our present absurd tariff on wool, which we now import m manufactuted state from England or Germany,gor through English houses, we should be a better customer to New Zealand for the unmanufactured article, and the proposition to take their trade away from us would then meet with no response from New Zealand merchants, however warmly British officials might advocate it. A little more liberality on the part of our government with regard to the remuneration of New Zealand steamers that are now carrying mails to and from the United States without adequate remuneration from our side, would also be appreciated, while the encouragement of a steamship line between Boston or New York and New Zealand and Australasian ports would work wonders m promoting rtciprocal trade between the United States and the enterprising colony. As it is, however, the commercial relations between this country and New Zealand are altogether too decidedly m our favor, as Sir Robert Stout very properly remarks; and while, m our opinion, New Zealand would profit little, if any, by transferring her present trade from the United States to British North America, it behoves us to bring the commercial balance up to somewhere near equality limit. To effect this result our merchants should earnestly strive, and m their efforts they are fairly entitled to such support as the nation, represented m Congress, can give them by wise legislation on the .tariff and shipping laws." These remarks will be read with much interest and satisfaction, as if only such views as these are permitted to prevail, the result must be the early removal of those restrictions which at present practically close the ports of America against New Zealand wool, and thus deprive our wool-growers of one of the best markets m the world.