THE EMPIRE'S TRADE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 273, 10 April 1913, Page 3

THE EMPIRE'S TRADE.

RESULT OF PREFERENTIAL | TARIFFS. SPEECH BY HON T. MACKENZIE. I London, February 22. A large and distinguished company assembled at the Troeadero on Wednesday evening to say farewell to Sir John Tavernev, the retiring Agent-General for Victoria. Alderman Sir Wyatt Trus[*eott presided, and the attendance inj eluded Sir J. Heimiker Heaton, the Hon. T. Mackenzie, Lord Emmott, Sir William Hall-Jones and Sir Joseph Ward. I Mr. Mackenzie, in speaking on the | trade of the Empire, said that a close examination and an analysis of the volume of the United Kingdom's trade revealed that it was the dependencies that were increasing their importations of British manufactures much beyond the importations from foreign countries. The returns just published showed that of an increase of £33,000,000 in the export of British-manufactured goods oversea possessions had taken £18,250,000 wortli, as against the rest of the world, with its teeming millions, taking £15,000,000. Lord Emmott had alluded to ! the increased manufacture of boots in Britain, but it must be remembered that , Canada, Australia and New Zealand had granted facilities to British goods, with the result that of the total quantity of boots alone imported into New Zealand 05 per cent, were British-made, as against only 50 per cent, before preferential tariffs on many articles were granted to the Old Country. These concessions were on right lines, because New Zealand was as far as possible confining her purchases of certain goods to those manufactured by the country which took her produce free of tariffs, thereby employing the men who consumed the products which the overseas dominions raised. The assistance which the Mother Country had given the colonies was never overlooked by New Zealand, and that country was grateful for all that Britain had'done and would show that gratitude in a practical way whenever occasion required.