WELLINGTON NEWS

Hokitika Guardian, 20 September 1929, Page 2

WELLINGTON NEWS

1 TRADE within the empire. (Special Correspondent) ; WELLINGTON, September 18.

It would be idle to suppose that trade-within the'Empire is at all practicable under present circumstances, but there is no doubt that a much greater trade can .be done be,tween the component parts of the Empire than hitherto. The fact is that we. have treated one another as strangers and foreigners instead of partners in- a great, firm df which we are one. Senti-ment-and public opinion are steadily changing and there is now greater attention being paid to the subject. We owe Jhis in no small measure to tfre proposed revision of the United States tariff; and which Sir Joseph Ward described as almost prohibitive as far as NewlZealand was concerned, and it is surely up to this Dominion to give the United States a Roland for its Oliver. Apart from all this mere sentiment will achieve although one must not overloek the psychological affect of an oft-expressed sentiment. Canada will feel the effects of the new Hawley tariff of the United States more than any i other country because of her intimate trade connection which will now be greatly modified to Canada’s loss. Canadian sentiment against the changes in United States duties is so pronounced that the Hon. Wm. Phillips, U.S. Minister to Canada is understood to have" expressed his-concern to President Hoover that a result of the proposed tariff "increases will be to divert hundreds of millions-of (dollars’ worth 'of Canadian trade' frem the Republip to the British’ Empire and other countries. During the fiscal year ended March 31, 1929, Great'Britain purchased from Canada 235,709,912 dollars worth of goods more than* she sold to the Dominon'j • Otfher portions of the British Empire took Canadian goods to an amount exceed ng Canadian purchases fromfthem by 278,627,486 dollars. This is ar&aggregate balance of trade against the Empire and in favour of. Canada of 514,337,398 dbllnrs (£102,867,479), her trade "with the United, States the: Dominion had a balance gainst Her of 367,889,081 dollars. (£73,557,816) representing purchases oyer sales,. . Of the total'imports of the year 2013 per cent; came from, countries of the British Empire and per cent from foreign countries. " 1 ** The United' States tariff disturbs thn trade relationships and' this has forced. Canada to give close, attention to the subject. Recently three topjcs dominated; political and ‘ commercial« discpsr sion -ip Canada. There . were'(l) new ttariff - .proposals ,Of ? the United States, .(2) . the development of interEmpire trade,'and (3) the holding of an Imperial Economic Conference in London.‘ The three subjests are ‘inter-twineij-r+the oiie a natufal corollary of the ether.'. Great Britain’s custom is more than valuable to Canada. It is vital to' her economic existence as it is to New Zealand. Empire trade is not a political issue. Its success’ depends primarily on the enterprise df producers, manufacturers, and distributors, and of the consuming public. But the support of the various Governments concerned is a beneficient influence.

The politicians ,of Canada are giving enthusiastic support to the proposal to hold an Imperial Economic Conference. The Canadian Minister for Finance recently stated that Canada had always been favourably disposed toward joint discussion of problems of mutual interest to the nations of the Empire. The Leader of the Opposition in the Canadian? Parliament has also expressed his approval of an Empire Economical Conference with a view to affecting Imperial economic unity, so that one part misty'- trade with another and supply that other’s needs. The fact that Canada is giving serious attention to the matter is encouraging and it will not long remain an academic .problem. Cdnada is talcing active steps t® bring about a conference. There was broadcast from Ottawa recently an address by the High Commissioner ( in .Canada for the United Kingdom, who said: “No country^ produces everything its people require, and when you have to go outside Canada for something you will find there are few of your needs that cannot be met by a good article produced at a competitive price in another part of the great Empire., .of vwhich Canada is a partner. Buy,from some other branch off that great firm just as you want other branches to buy from you. The resources of those other parts are almost unlimited in variety, and from buying from them when you buy abroad, you are putting money into the very handj winch will spend it in buying your own exports in return.”