LITTLE BENEFIT

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 214, 4 May 1932, Page 5

LITTLE BENEFIT

("Post" Special Commissioner) . .

LABOUR VIEWS MR, HOLLAND NOT SATISFIED WITH TERMS OF ; AGREEMENT TRADE EQUALITY ADVOCATED

WELLINGTON, ,Tues£da|. , The view that New Zealand would gain little or no benefit . from "tlie trade agreement with Canada v?as expressed by the Leader; of the 0&position, Mr. H. E. Holland, in-.the Houser of Representatives tornight. He pointed put tltat the agrqemefit , - would be- subject /to revisxon at rthe Ottawa Qonference and ^-regretted that the Government had not placed its proposals for the Conference' .'.before the House • in -order that they might bs diseussed- in conjunction with the Bill. Mr. Holland said he did npt hqld out much hope for the butter trade with Canada as the Canadian dairy industry was developing rapidly..>,At 'present New Zealand's trade bala.ppje with Canada was unfavourable and he was of opinion that what - was wanted was, not haphazard 'tarjjfi; arrangements, hut definite trade agreements. , The Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates: Wh.at do you mean'by trade agreements ? o, Mr. Holland. There should- b_e .definite understanding as to what gop.ds Canada shpuld take .from us and what goods we should talce from her. Mr. Coates: In pounds?.. m-, , Mr. Holland: I would leave the de.tails to be arranged between the twp countries, but if possible it should be on a goods basis. • f, ; v He added that the. firs^ -effftrt should be to make definite .trade /arrangements with Great Britain, whifth was New Zealand's best c.ustomer^.As far as Canada, Australia, or-...a(W other eountry was concerpsd, . trade should be on a ba.sis pf equality, 3;-,. Mr. Coates: What about Great Britain ? . ; uid Mr. Holland replied. that jt would be difficult to place the Domimop.is trade with Great Britain on an eqqql basis, but the debt New Zealahd owed Great Britain came into-cons.id-eratioh in this respect, So ■ lol)g, ;as New Zealand owed money to Great Britain, she would take our goods,. . Mr. Holland said that tariff.; arrangements were often made on ,a revenue basis instead of a prohibitiye basis. Goods that could nofc he. ,produced in New Zealand should come in duty free, while those goods which could be produced economically .-ftithin the Dominion in. sufficient quantities should not he subject to overseas competition.