TRADE WITHIN EMPIRE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 48, Issue 141, 26 March 1928, Page 7

TRADE WITHIN EMPIRE

MR PRATTEN’S ADVICE

THE AUSTRALIAN VIEWPOINT. fFer Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, This Day The principal of keeping one’s trade within the Empire was urged by the Hon. H. E. Pratten (Minister of Trade and Customs) for the Commonwealth of Australia, in a. talk to Christchurch business men on Saturday morning. Mr Pratten, who is on a trade .mission from the Commonwealth, was the' guest of the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce and the .Canterbury Manufacers’ Association at moiming tea. “I am a husness man of some thirty or forty years’ experience, and have a record of some success behind me, and I, too, sometimes wonder why I’m in the political game,” Mr Pratten said. “I think that .perhaps now that I’m reaching the sere and yellow stage of life I need a little excitement, and there’s more excitement in politics tnan in any other vocation in life.” (Laughter.) He had come over to New Zealand as a delegate from the Commonwealth Government of Australia to tlir Government of New Zealand, and f-.e most heartily' endorsed the suggestion that the interchange of visits by representatives of the two Governments was in. the best interests of both. The destiny of Australia was the same as the destiny of New Zealand, their problems were the same and' they were both growing up along parallel lines. Mr Pratten said he was born an Englishman and Christchurch had recalled memories of his boyhood days. Christchurch was the most English town in New Zealand. Both Australia and New Zealand were more British than England,itself, and in Australia 97 per cent, of the population was Anglo-Saxon and Celtic. Australia’s help to the Empire during the war was as thorough and complete as was New Zealand’s and he realised how much they owed during their period of adolescence to the protection of Britain,. Their national strength was derived through forming a part of the farflung Empire. They must therefore be willing to help one another. It was a very great pleasure to him to see a little of another of, the large centres of New Zealand, particularly one which was famous for its agrarian products. He believed that the more they knew of each other the better they would like one another. (Hear, hear.)

Better Trade Relations. “I have come over ,with a message of goodwill from the Commonwealth, and it is my particular desire, which 1 believe is also shared by Mr Downie Stewart, to cultivate better trade relations, consistent with a recognition of each other’s particular difficulties and interests,” said Mr Pratten. In Auckland, he added, the people wanted free trade with Australia in butter, and in Canterbury, he understood, they had been successful in inducing the Government to impose a duty on Australian wheat and flour. Australia had the same problems as New Zealand in regard to its trade relations with the United States and Canada. Australia’s exports to the United States were only equal to about one-fifth of her total imports, and they were intensely dissatisfied with that position. (Hear, hear.) When he submitted his last tariff revision to the House of Representatives, he was keenly delighted to read that there were loud squeals in New York concerning the proposed increases in the duties. He believed that if there was going to be a trade balance in favour of any country it should, be in favour of the Mother Country, which (protected us. (Applause.) That was the spirit in which he had come to New Zealand, and he believed it was also the spirit of the business men i'll Christchurch. (Hear, hear.) Australia was a very big country, with five times the population of New Zealand, but about 30 times the area.

“We have, our economic problems, our problems of credit and time-pay-ment, and public and private extravagance,” said Mr Pratten. However, the sun was still shining, amidst all the turmoil. He had come to New Zealand to get to know them a little better, and he wanted them to know Australia a little better. He had not come over to try to get the better of them, but to improve,.the relations between the two countries. He brought a message of goodwill to New Zealand from Australia, and would take back with him a message of goodwill from New Zealand to Australia. They should look after their own interests first, and then those of the other, places in the Empire, and let the foreigner look after himself. (Applause.)