TARIFF RECIPROCITY.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVII, Issue 30, 6 October 1913, Page 8

TARIFF RECIPROCITY.

NEW ZEALAND AND AUSTRALIA. Dominion Day passed without any celebrations at all in Sydney (writes the correspondent of the Ofcago Daily Times), but in Melbourne the Government representative (Mr Manson) had a reception, which was followed at night by a dinner, the Prime Minister (Mr Cook) being the principal sneaker. ,

Mr W. H. Quick presided at the dinner, and among the (iu°3t;:> ».v« j re the Prime Minister, the l/vr.j Mayii, ■Sir Joseph Walton, M.P.. Mr Milne (British Trade ( ommissio u>r), anc! Mi D. Ross (Canadian Tr-ido Comniißsioner).

Mi? Cook cpngivtui-u. d New Zt-a-landers on their local 1 paniotism. Men rt-re the betV" for pre-'suug Uifsi "local patriotisms." A man was the better townsman for being a good husband and father; a better State man for being a good townsman; a better Commonwealth man for being a good solid man for his own State ; and a better citizen for their great Empire for being a proud Commonwealth man. —(Cheers.) If be scratched them he would find a picture of New Zealand, and the thought that it was the finest place in the world.—(Cheers).

A Voice: God's own country. (Lau ghter).

Mr-Cook begged pardon. He had forgotten the famous phrase. He congratulated New Zealand on its astuteness when it completed its reciprocal arrangement with Canada. Jt was, not half slow when it fixed tip that little arrangement, an arrangement! that'we in Australia let slip. The result has been a great increase in trade, with Canada. He hoped there would-be more of these treaties. A Voice: What about a treaty between Australia and New Zealand? Mr Cook: Reciprocity was not go easy to bring about as it seemed in a pleasant atmosphere of this kind. —(Laughter). These matters were in the making. Just to what extent the making had taken place recently he was not prepared to say. Frankly there was not much time to grapple with these matters, but they were anxiously looking for a time of leisure when they might be able to devote themselves to such a prosaic and all: important subect as reciprocal treaties.?—(Cheers). They wondered sometimes why the Old Land did not give us. preference. Ho did not do so, because they had no right to do so until some movement had been made for; thb: linking-up of, the Dominions together.—(Hear,' hear.) If they intheiDominiops and Empire.outposts found it (difficult. to make trade arrangenients, how'much more | difficult was-ife for the iMother. Country to do so , with ,her peculiar circumstances and venrironmenty i and her ■ tremendous -■: business interests.—(Cheers). Their immediate duty was to deal with local tariff arrangements so as to bring the Dominions into closer touch with one another,and perhaps one day thei MotheruCountry i,■might enter, into some such arrangement .as. the,,one ,discusin9goc ; But for the moment ; they .must cleave Jier-outv of account. ((Butithei-eravas' no such tremendmvr.'Ob.staclesj:in the way of.reciprocal.treaties the outposts of i-Empirf. ;He hoped they might ht able. to.do something here with Nov. Zealand. The imports of New Zeal aid manufactured goods .or produce, int< the Commonwealth in 1912 were val ued at- £2,979,628, the total imports being .-£3,352,444 in value. The value of Australia's exports to New Zealand was £2,228,551. In the present position of political affairs there were other things to do than make reciprocal treaties.—(Cheers). They were getting closer together. They were unifying their military defences, and New Zealand was sending her boys to the military college. It might be that some day they would do the same in naval affaire. Whether New Zealand came into a common fleet ov not did not matter as long as the co. tributions were going into the Empire common stock. Let New Zealand d as she chose, and Australia would do trie..same. Each was doing its bes. to show that they did not intend any longer to be a burden on the Mother Country, and that they realised their responsibility as full-bearded men de termined that there should be mutuality of. obligation as well as of privilege.—(Cheers). Miy Mason, responding, expressed disappointment that the Prime Minister was not able to say something more definite with respect to the reciprocity arrangement. He hoped, however, the agreement signed by the New Zealand Government would be ratified by the two Parliaments. —(Cheers). As illustrating what Australia lost owing to the failure of previous negotiations, he pointed out that under New Zealand's reciprocal arrangement with South Africa that Dominion had got a wine trade which belonged to Australia.