MR. FISHER'S MISSION.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1700, 17 March 1913, Page 6

MR. FISHER'S MISSION.

—— TO AUSTRALIA. . PROSPECTS OF TRADE RECIPROCITY. Reciprocity, with Australia has been more or less in the air for a long time past. 1 Seven years ago the lato Mr.'Seddon paid a visit'to Australia and conducted negotiations with the; Australian Government in regard to-reciprocal trade arrangements; 'but no , satisfactory understanding between the two Dominions resulted. The: attempt to arrive at such an understanding is about to be renewed, and, with that end in view, the Hon. I'. 31. B. Fisher (Minister for Customs) will leave for Australia about a weok' hence. While in the .Commonwealth'lie will discuss with Canadian and Australian representatives the broad question of interImperial reciprocity" as. well as negotiate with Australia, on the subject of a reelprocity agreement having , reference to Australia and New Zealand alone. South Africa has intimated that itwill bo unable to send, a representative to tho approaching' conference in Australia for •reasons arising from the unsettled state of its internal politics at the present time. Some indication of the scope ami purpose of-.the'mission uuoii which he is about to embark was given* by the Hon. I l '. 51. B. Fislier to a Dominion reporter oil Saturday. .' "I am going over'to Australia, _ said 'Mr. Fisher, "for < tho purpose of tryng to arrange a better' .trade . relationship be'iwesn the Commonwealth and New Zealand. At present the- two countries aro 'almost''foreign, so far as their treatment of. one another under tariff law is. concerned. Australia has a .five, per cent, impost upon almost everything thafc comes from New Zealand, as against imports from England. Australia imposes heavr taxeis upon' products manufactured in New Zealand, while New Zealand imposes no • Itaxes upon similar products made in 'Australia. "There are some products 'made, in New Zealand, and which are very largely used in Australia, upon which New Siealand is not only taxed, but taxed to .the same extent as the foreigner. "The Commonwealth Government,' continned the -Minister, ■ "is very anxious that we should liaye reciprocity in matters of defence. It is .surely equally rieeessarjvat least,, that we should meet each other upon friendly terms,in matters of. trade. So' far as I a.m able to gather from' the: senitimeuts expressed bv 'the Prime' Minister of the.' Commonwealth and his-colleagues, there is every desire across the water .to ' reduce ■ those inequalities in the Alisltraliaii tariff which have operated against New:. Zealand in the past. It must hot lie overlooked, of course, that there are very greait difficulties in the way. Australia is on the same side of the equator as New -Zealand, and its primary products are "very .much the same. In 'tile .most "essential' part of' our trade Australia is one of our keenest competitors, and when one considers that tho ' Australian' suriimer and winter ;• correspond .with ours, it is not an. easy matter for us to find items'of trade upon, -which reciprocity ;can bo made' woi'tli while. For instance, with Canada the question assumes quite a. different, aspect. We are able to,,send large quantities of butter into'Caiiada at a time'when'she is compelled to live upon her cold stofage supplies, but this does not _ apply to tho Commonwealth of Australia

' "Then- there are other , to ho considered," said Mr. JTisher, "which are of considerable importance, ndfc only to 'Australia and New' Zealand, not merely to importen arid .producers, hut to the people-,from whom things >ore: imported on the'other side of the world. One comparatively ..small hut yet very important item is that of the'.oversea Dominions bringing" into line , the form of invoice. Large English firms which ship to Canada, Australia, andr New Zealand find it necessary; t'o : prepare adifferent fbrm'of inroice for 'each: oversea .Dominion, although the information contained in each invoice is alnlOst- identical. The arrangements ami.'details of the form aro different, and.it. leads to'small, but. nevertheless, harassing, .which could easily-be overcome':by a meeting, of the Trade Ministers. . . ' "l)uring my visit ' to Australia." the Minister went on to remark. "I shall be present at the conference (which .was initiated by- the New. Zealand Government) at which the Hon. Andrew Fisher and thoHon. Mr.' Tudor (Australia) and' the Hon. G. E. Foster (Canada)' will, bp, present. -Then .there is also .the question., of trying to bring about the uniform treatment of goods by the Customs authorities ■of all v the Dominions. These do not, on tho surface, appear to be-' very* important •items; and yet to the business communiity itliev are the small things that account ■for'a {jreatdeal of irritation, unnecessary correspondence,, and inconvenience, which it is well'to be. rid of. How much may result from, their proposed , conference it is difficult'even to but if the meeting of three , men can save hundreds and hundreds of men w ; aste of ' time'over small and 'vexatious transactions, : year in and year out, then'the medting will bo justified on the ground', even of such small items as : these. . ...

. "Of. course," concluded the Minister, "the main object of' tho "meeting is, to try to widen tho avenues of . trade between the oversea .Dominions. I cannot speak for any'of the others, who will be" present at the' conference; but, personally,"! have a very 'strong ' feeling that if people in this part , of; the world wart to, use" goods which they do not make themselves, but which aro mado by peoplosof our own race in other parts of the world, we should utilise British goods every time as against. foreign."