AMERICAN TARIFFS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VIII, Issue 654, 25 March 1914, Page 2

AMERICAN TARIFFS.

At the cluse oE the banquet at Ngaruawahia last week, Hon. F. M. B. Fisher, Minister of Customs and Marine, in proposing an extra toasf, "The Town Board of Ngaruawahia," made an important reference to the effect of the revision of American tariffs on the industries of New Zea land. The hon. gentleman said: "I wish to refer to a very important thing that has taken place during the past year, and wh>ch is going to have its influence on Ngaruawahia and the surrounding districts The most important event of 1914 for the Dominion has been the revision of the U.S.A. tariffs. It is a curious thing, when one reflects on it, that the United States Government has actually given us a better conditions in the way of providing access to their markets than we get from Canada, our sister Dominion. This meana that there will be opened up to exporters to the United States of America a market of 95 millions of people, doubl9 the market we get from the United Kingdom. Also, the Government is at the present time negotiating a new contract with the Union S.S Company to provide for continuity of service between New Zealand and the Western ports of the United States of America, the effect of which is going to be an enormous advance so far as New Zealand is concerned. The outlook for the people of New Zealand to-day is brighter than it has been during the last 22 years, and during that time our progress has indeed been very great. Therefore, with these advantages, and all the advantages that have come to our primary producers, on whom we all live, and with these great changes that have taken place outside the country, it is for us inside the country to see that we keep pace with the demands the world is going to make on our export trade. We can only do that with close settlement. We want, in this country, people. You double our population, and you double the strength of our defence. You double our population, and you double our export trade. You double our population, and you dauble the capacity of the country to carry more people And there can be no question about this matter. Although it has neen prominent in the cables and other messages to this country the true significance has never been recognised in New Zealand. So the outlook of the district if which you are the centre is better today than it has foe many days. I hope, m making thiß statement to this little gathering, that in the next few years to come we will see the Town Board of Ngaruawahia keeping pace with the development of your country district, ar.d that th« development of your country district will mark the prosperity of the whole Dominion."