Trade Within the Empire

Hokitika Guardian, 9 May 1922, Page 4

Trade Within the Empire

THE THING TO STRIVE FOR. AUCKLAND, ..May 5. "What wo ought to work for is reciprocity within the Empire. Canada, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand should nil have reciprocity. It 1 sounds all very well to grant concessions to foreign countries, hut when ajl.is over they don’t care a rap for the British Empire, and don’t thank us for any. sacrifices we may make. You only have to look at what is happening in Europe to-day to realise the truth of what I say. No, the British Empire is big enough to stand by itself, and what we should do is to encourage trade within the Empire.” Thus Mr P. Duffy, who for the past thirty years !| as. been interested in the fruit trade between California and Australasia, lie arrived by the Maktira this morning on one of his periodical visits to the colonies. At one time a fair business was done between the United States and New Zealand in apples, oranges and lemons when these fruits were scarce on this side, but Mr DufFv says the high tariff has quite killed the,trade, and he does not expect to see it conic hack again. Ami in the same way the high American tariff lias killed the. Colonial trade in produce and hides. .That is the reason Pacific stcanfcrs are now travelling,practically empty. He rays that, as a,matter of .commercial .fact, New Zealand should he .supplying ,tl|o United States with butler, cheese pad eggs fm\(Ju;9e months of the year, hut business was impossible under present circumstances.

Mr Duffy explained that the high American tariff on produce was brought about by the fact that friends of fanners, or possibly some astute Congressmen who saw that it would for tlie moment. pay politically to champion the cause of the farming community, had got to work and put duties that made outside competition quite impossible. It might he asked was the farmers party so strong? Tlie fact was that a great majority of the American public was too apathetic to take much trouble, although it concerned them very closely. ‘ Even from the Americans’ own standpoint, tlie policy was a mistaken one, ami that fact would come home to them when they wanted to export their manufactured goods turned out undci costly conditions. It was after reviewing the whole position that M r Duffy reiterated his dictum that the only sensible thing for the different parts of the Empire to strive for was reciprocity among themselves. He said ho had been for a long time convinced of the soundness of Empire reciprocity, and the more he saw of the trend of things the more he was confirmed in Ii is belief.