"BUY OUR TIMBER"

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 917, 10 March 1930, Page 11

"BUY OUR TIMBER"

CANADIANS APPEAL EO NEW ZEALAND URGE FOR RECIPROCITY An appeal for the better developN Zealand and Canada, and the support of the Canadian timber industry as against that of foreign nations, was made today by Mr. J. H. McDonald, leader of the Canadian timber delegation. who addressed the luncheon meeting of the Auckland Rotary Club. H© and his colleagues were introduced by the chairman. Mr. R. A. Laid - law. who observed that although Canada imported 10.0)0 tons of New Zealand butter last year, this was but half the annual output of a single factory in the Auckland province. He hoped that, while encouraging New Zealanders to buy Canadian timber, the delegation would not forget to become ambassadors for New Zealand dairy products. With a twinkle in his eye. Mr. McDonald opened his address by replying to the chairman. Some years ago, he said, the New Zealand Government had sought the assistance of a Can idian expert to teach New Zealanders how to make butter. “However,” lie added, ‘ not long after he returned, the Canadian Government sent him back to find out why the pupil was so much better than the master." Last year, he continued, 10.000.000 feet of Canadian timber were imported into New Zealand, as against 25,000,000 feet -of United states timber. Such was the position that the delegation wished to alter. Canada wanted to buj tter from New Zealand in n turn for New Zealand’s buying cf Canadian timber. Though New Zealand’s imports had increased eight times over a certain period of years. Canada’s share had been increased b> only 20 per cent. Furthermore, there was no preference in New Zealand for Canadian timber products, and the delegation was asking thp New Zealand Government for this. Canada had a duty on New Zealand butter of a halfpenny a pound, but New Zealand’s duty on Canadian butter was 20 per cent. The second biggest industrial group in Canada was the “forest products” group—users of New Zealand butter —and this big group was wanting the support of New Zealand, the sort of support that New Zealand had given the forest products of Australia. New Zealand. Australia. Fiji and Canada should be knit far more closely together than they were: in fact, it was not too much to say that the tim** lad come for a sort of trade federation betwen those parts of the Empire, he declared. New Zealand wool came into Canada free, but a duty of 17d was levied in the U.S.A. This nation also levied a duty of 7d on New Zealand butter, as against Canada’s half-penny. “Now, gentlemen,” urged the speaker, “who’s your friend?” There was no subject giving more concern today than the subject of trade. A re-shaping of Empire trade was mooted as a result of the Empire Conference to be held in London. He hoped that this would hasten the day cf fuller, better Empire trade. Dealing with the need for trade assistance to Fiji from the larger countries, Mr. McDonald! aaid he once asked why there wm/t> such » difference between the industrial prosperity of Hawaii and that of Fiji. A resident of Hawaii had replied: “Well, you see, Hawaii is the only child of millionaire parents, whereas Fiji is the 27th child of a working bricklayer.”

Returning to New Zealand’s butter exports and Canada’s timber exports to the Dominion, Mr. McDonald said that the supplies of butter coming into Canada were sent, actually, in nonEmpire boxes.