TRADE WITH AMERICA

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 166, 9 April 1921, Page 8

TRADE WITH AMERICA

PLENTY OF SCOPE

FASTER BOAT SERVICE REQUIRED

By Telegraph.—Special Correspondent. Masterton, April 8.

At ihe quarterly meeting of the Chamber of Commerce to-day, Mr. J. C. Cooper, managing director of the Wellington Farmers’ Meat and Manufacturing Company, delivered an address re' warding his recent trip abroad. Referring to the Panama Canal, he said he could not help feeling that that route was going to be of immense importance to Australasian ports generally. The advantage was in the fact that the boats touched at American ports and opened up a new field for trade besides speeding up the journey to the Old Country. New Zealand needed to foster trade with the States and if the Americans did not treat us fairly then we should retaliate as Canada had done. America hud bought meat for 2s. per lb., and wool for 10s. per lb., but New Zealand had not received the benefit. Before any material increase in trade could be brought about the passenger service must be speeded up so that a business man should be able to proceed to England end back via Amercia within three month. Every other part of the world had its fast passenger service, but wo in New Zealand had to be content with mere cargo boats fitted with cabins and capable of doing only 13 knots. Considering the importance of the Dominion as a trading country, it deserved vessels capable of 16 or 1/ knots per hour. On the journey out the speaker met a director of the White Star Line, and he had done his best to impress’ thyt gentleman with the fact that this country could very well do with • fast and efficient passenger service. When things got back to normal there would lx- plenty of scope for trade in all lines with America. There _ was an impression abroad that the American was hostile to the Englishman. When the average American was closely questioned, however, it was found that our cousin was proud of his origin. New Zealanders should, do their utmost tto cultivate friendship with America. Referring to the relations of the British Isles with this Dominion, Mr. Conper said that the general idea among the English was that the New Zealanders were “hayseeds.” and vice versa, we thought that the English were unprogressive in many ways. Both these ideas were erroneous. There was no better business nl?m in the world than the Londoner, especially if he was a Scotsman, In conclusion. Mr. Cooper expressed'a hopeful view of nhe meat market, rhe present slump was due. not to ci decreased demand, but to the uncertainty of t|ie future. Tn his opinion, the market, would 'right itself shortly, always providin gthat industrial troubles did not intervene to prevent tho people of the Old Country payillg the prices expected.