Trade With Germany

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 34, 30 June 1914, Page 5

Trade With Germany

WHAT THE HIGH COMMISSIONER' REAIiLY SAID. GERMANY MUST RECIPROCATE,. TO CATOH NEW ZEALAND BUSINESS,

By Telegraph—Press Association. Christchurch, Last Night. A private cable message has been raceived 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 fol> Iqws;& : ,

"Were Germany, however, to adopt a progressive policy such as that recently adopted by the United States, my fel-low-countrymen would look with a much more kindly eye on this most recent de- [ velopment. Unfortunately, Germany has in force a policy of exclusion against us which lias 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 is does appear that it is, in tha meantime, the fixed policy of the Agrarian party and their allies to maintain a system of tariffs 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 policyjrhich the United States has extended to : its New Zcalanders.

"I will give you some of Germany's heavy traffic exclusion charges; The duty on our frozen meat m entering Germany, is 35 marks per 100 kilos, nearly 2d per lb. Until recently a concession of SO 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 be attached in their natural position, and in the case of cattle, either .the whole head or the under-jaw must tlso be present, an entirely unnecessary provision so far as our excellent meat is concerned. The tariff on butter and cheese is as follows: 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, including margarine cheese, 15s 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 ot New Zealand. The total export trade to Germany in 1012 was £264,000, whilst the imports of German goods amounted to £653,000, an increase over the preceding year of £172,000. You will, therefore, sec that we imported moro than double the quantity from Germany than we exported to her, and most of these articles were such as could hato been produced by the British manufacturer. Now, I will show you the difference in New Zealand trade with tho United Kingdom in favor of New Zealand. In 1012, we exported nearly £17,000,000 worth of produce, and imported goods to the value of £12,500,000 .from the.JCJnited Kingdom. It will be seen, therefore, that the United Kingdom took £45,000,000 worth more from us thap we imported from her, whilst Germany reversed the situation, and T might say that gooi's that Germany imported frian us \vr r wool. Now, without desiring to prr s [this matter unduly, New Zealand cannot shut her eyes to the fact tliat if Germany does not take her -products in | return, but expects New Zealand to buy her goods, we shall be taking from the nation which bars us goods which could he manufactured in the United Kingdom, a country, the workmen of which do gain access' to our mutton 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. Tho trade done with Gerißany 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 this Do--1 minion, and it must gratify you to know I 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."