A ROSY VIEW.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXV, Issue 73, 3 April 1913, Page 5

A ROSY VIEW.

DISCUSSION ON RECIPROCITY. BETWEEN THE COMMON WEALTH AND THE DOMINION.

[By Electric Telegraph—Copyright] [United Press Association.]

Melbourne, April 2

Mr Tudor and a large number of Now Zealanders to-day welcomed the Hon. F. M. B. Fisher, the New Zealand Minister of Customs. Messrs. Tudor and Fisher discussed the proposed reciprocal tariff arrangement, and agreed that each furnish a list of the items on which reciprocity was desired.

Subsequently, Mr Tudor admitted that this was a matter of considerable difficulty, as tho two countries produced similar goods and competed with each other. He had, however, become optimistic after examining the statistics, and he expected to reach an agreement which should considerably extend Australian trade with the Dominion.

A rosy view was also taken by the New Zealand Minister, who instanced the reciprocal agreement reached by Mr Deakin and tho late Mr Seddon in 1906, which was ratified by the Federal Parliament, but, owing to Mr Seddon’s death, did not get through the Dominion Parliament. The difficulty was in maintaining local protection, while giving solid preference to Australian goods. There had been no real attempt to improve the trade between Australia and New Zealand since 1906.