GERMAN TRADE.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIX, Issue 58, 30 June 1914, Page 7

GERMAN TRADE.

[Pan Phjim Association.} Christchurch, Juno 29. A private cable message has been received in Christchurch giving a verbatim report of that part of the High Commissioner’s speech at the annual New Zealand dinner in London dealing with German competition. it is as follows:—“Wore .Germany, however, to adopt a progressive policy such as that recently adopted by the United States, my fellow-countrymen would look with a much more ‘kindly eye on this most recent development. Unfortunately, Germany has in force a policy of exclusion against us which has acted as a blight on all our efforts with that nation. This is neither the time nor the place to discuss the political parties in the German Empire. We can only deal with results. But it does appear that it is, in the meantime, the fixed policy of the Agrarian party and their allies to maintain a system of traffic which will interfere very largely with exchange of trade, or, at least, with the sale of our country’s foodstuffs to Germany. and which is in marked contrast to the policy which the United States has extended to us New Zealanders. “I will give you some of Germany’s heavy traffic exclusion charges: The duty on our frozen meat in entering Germany is 35 marks per 100 kilos, nearly 2d per lb. Until recently a concession of 50 per cent, was made in the case of meat imported through the municipalities and sold by them without profit, but even this concession is cancelled now. In the case of frozen carcases, various organs, such as lungs, heart, kidneys, etc., must he attached in their natural position, and in the case of cattle, either the whole head or the under-jaw must also he present, an entirely unnecessary provision so far as our excellent meat is concerned. The tariff on butter fresh, salt and melted, or margarine, 10s per cwt.; butter in hermetically sealed tins, etc.. 30s per cwt.; cheese, hard varieties such as New Zealand Cheddars, of not less than 881bs. each. Gorgonzola, Fontina and Parmesan, 7s per cwt.; cheese of other varieties, t including margarine cheese, Tos per cwt. Fancy a country expecting to do much trade that charges up to 4d on cheese of certain makes! “It must, however, be remembered that some trade has been carried on

between Germany and the Dominion of New . Zealand. The total export trade to Germany in 1912 was £254,000, whilst the imports of German goods amounted to £65*5,000, an increase over the .preceding year of £172,000. You will, therefore, see that we imported more: than double the quantity from Germany than wo i exported to her, and most of these articles were such as could have been produced by the British manufacturer. Now, I will show you the difference in Noav Zealand trade with the United Kingdom in favor of New Zea land. in,4 ln we 'exported nearly £17,000,000 worth of produce, and ! imported goods to the value of £12,- ■ 500,000 from the United Kingdom. It will be seen, therefore, that the United Kingdom took worth more from us than we imported from : her, whilst Germany reversed the sit- | nation, and I might say that the bulk ' of the goods that Germany imported 1 from us was wool. Now, without desiring to press this matter unduly, | New Zealand cannot shut her eyes to the fact that if Germany does not take her products iu return, but ex pects New Zealand to buy her goods, we shall be taking from the nation which bars us goods-which could be manufactured in the United Kingdom a country the workmen of which do gain access to our muttpn or beef, our butter and our cheese, and it is not stretching the point to say that for absolute value the British article is intrinsically better than the German. The trade done with Germany in the past amounts to 12s per head of the population of New Zealand, whilst that done with Great Britain amounts to nearly £3O per head of population of the Dominion, and it must gratify you to know that we import from Great Britain manufactured articles amounting to no less than £l2 per head of population, that is, £l2 for every man, woman and child in our country.”