ELECTION ISSUES

Southland Times, Issue 21099, 3 June 1930, Page 7

ELECTION ISSUES

POLITICS IN CANADA OPINION DIVIDED ON TRADE TREATIES OPPOSITION OF TORIES (United Press Assn.—By Telegraph—Copyright.) (Rec. 5.5 p.m.) Ottawa, June 1. With the election date set and the decks cleared for the impending political battle, something of the diverse forces at work to create an important division of opinion over the Australian and New Zealand treaties has shown out in clearer perspective. To begin wtih political circles generally agree that Tory opposition to the Australian treaty was frankly an effort to garner a few votes in t'he prairie provinces. While Canadian farmers were concentrating on wheat because it was more profitable than dairy and mixed farming, there was little outcry against imported butter. The tune was changed when the market fell out of wheat. In British Columbia, where the treaty generally is popular, sheepbreeders are likely to attack it. They want a prohibitive duty on Australian lamb, claiming that they are now practically in a position to supply domestic needs.

The east of Canada sees the treaties strictly in commercial terms, since that section is not a producer of primary products and sees better business because of the pacts. It appears clear that the industrial east, having very much at stake in the Australian Treaty, will throw its weight against those primary producers in the west who are making an outcry against the pact irrespective of whether their claims are real or illusory. As the election campaign gets well on the way it is expected that the Australian and New Zealand treaties will loom very large, but because the inclination seems to be to make political material out of what should be strictly economic' and business consideration, both parties will have to be extremely cautious in their utterances because the treaties may prove a twoedged sword.

Other impotrant issues in the election are the Dunning Budget, which has been recently very much criticized, Mr Mackenzie King alleged reflection on Sir Wilfred Laurier in an introduction to a biography of the statesman, since repudiated by him, but nevertheless may lose him some seats in Quebec, and business depression, which, despite the claims of improvement, is generally unchanged since the American relapse of last autumn.