TRADE WITH AUSTRALIA

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 84, 6 October 1931, Page 6

TRADE WITH AUSTRALIA

Notwithstanding the steady growth of" the populations of Australia and New Zealand the trade passing between the two countries, if not falling back, is at least not keeping |in step. Communications between the Commonwealth and the Domin- [ ion have had to be curtailed for want of sufficient passenger and cargo business. Forty years ago there were.more frequent shipping services, and although the vessels were smaller it is a question whether the number of passengers carried and the quantity of goods exchanged between the two countries were not greater than they are to-day. Melbourne and Sydney were served by weekly mail steamers, and there was then a very large amount of cargo cai'ried by them and by some sailing vessels representing a healthy exchange of the products of each counIry. But industrial ambitions have since been instrumental in having obstacles raised by one country against the importations of products from the other, to the disadvantage of both. We shut out Australian wheat; Australia puts such a heavy duty on butter that it kills our trade in that "commodity in the Commonwealth. So this beggar-my-neigh-bour game continues to be played by both countries, to the grave disadvantage of the mass of consumers in both of them.

Reciprocal tariff arrangements are made, and yet, as the Victorian Chamber of Manufacturers reminded the Commonwealth Minister of Customs yesterday, the trade between the two countries persists in wilting, at any rate its growth is stunted. However, on balance, it is still against "New Zealand. Last year New Zealand imported goods of Australian origin to the value of £3,308,915, and Australia look in return New Zealand goods of the value of £1,562,281. In 1928 the position was almost balanced, less than £100,000 in favour of Australia, and that would be the ideal. The Commonwealth Minister of Customs has promised the Victorian manufacturers that he would bring the matter before Cabinet, adding that he thought there was ample room for further investigation. There is; but general rather than particular interests will have to be considered first, and last, if any headway at all is to be made in restoring the former activity of Australian and New Zealand trade.