U.S.A. TRADE KILLED.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 May 1922, Page 12

U.S.A. TRADE KILLED.

TARIFFS TOO HIGH. EMPIRE RECIPROCITY. “What we ought to work for is reciprocity within the Empire. Canada, Australia, Africa and New Zealand should all have reciprocity. It sounds all 'very well to grant concessions to foreign countries, but when all is_oyer they don’t care a rap for the British Empire, and don’t thank us for any sacrifices we may make. You have only to look at what is happening in Europe to-day to realise the truth of what I say. No, the British Empire is big enough to stand by itself, and what we should do is to encourage trade within the Empire.” Thus Mr. P. Duffy who for the past thirty years has been interested in the fruit trade between California and Australasia.

At one time a fair business was done between the States and New Zealand in apples, oranges and lemons, when these fruits were scarce on this side, but Mr. Duffy says the high tariff has quite killed the trade, and he does not except to see it come back again. And in the same way, the high American tariff has killed the colonial trade in produce and hides. That is the reason the Pacific steamers are now travelling practically empty. He says that as a matter of commercial fact New Zealand should be supplying the States with butter, cheese and eggs for three months of the year, but business was impossible under the present circumstances. Mr. Duffy explained that the high American tariff on produce was brought about by the fact that the friends of the farmers, or possibly some astute Congressmen who saw that it would for the moment pay politically to champion the cause of the fanning community, had got to work, and put on duties that made outside competition quite impossible. It might be asked was the farmers’ party so strong? The fact was that the great majority of the American public was too apathetic to take much trouble, although it concerned them very closely. Even from the Americans’ own standpoint the policy was a mistaken one, and that fact would come home to them when they wanted to export their manufactured goods turned out under costly conditions.

It was after reviewing the whole position that Mr. Duffy reiterated his dictum that the only sensible thing for the different parts of the Empire to strive for was reciprocity among themselves. He said he had been for a long time convinced of the soundness of Empire reciprocity, and the more he saw of the trend of things the more he was confirmed in his belief.