MR. BRUCE IN CANADA.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 3, 5 January 1927, Page 7

MR. BRUCE IN CANADA.

AUSTRALIAN BUTTER IMPORT. PROVISION MERCHANTS CONCERNED. (Received 1 p.m.) TORONTO, January 4. Mr. Bruc-e upon his arrival here was immediately taken to Government House, where he will be the guest until he leaves for Hamilton to-morrow. A delegation headed by Mr. J. S. McLean, representing the provision interests of the city, has asked to meet Mr. Bruce to discuss the butter situation. Local butter dealers point out that under the Patterson scheme Australian butter could enter here five to six cents below the price of the Ontario product, and this had resulted in dumping duties which had virtually stopped the importation of Australian butter. It is understood it will be pointed out that the Patterson scheme is not a State aid to the butter producers but a private arrangement. The provision interests feel that unless Australian butter comes to Canada unaided, whether privately or by the Government, the local producers, particularly those in Ontario, who are producing 25,000,0001bs annually, in order to maintain the level of prices will succeed in keeping the ! dumping duties in force and the provision interests will import butter from countries other than Australia. Question of Preference. A point raised at the Press interview held following the luncheon address at the Canadian Club was whether the Imperial Economic Conference was not a failure because it had not touched the question of preference. Mr. Bruce replied that while he personally believed that the question must ultimately be solved before inter-Imperial trade could reach its greatest height, he felt satisfied with the economic work of the conference, particularly the broad plans for cooperation between Britain and the Dominions. He added that he felt the I ultimate attainment of a preferential scheme, which now, naturally, could not be discussed owing to the Baldwin Government policy, would be reached by broadening the now existing scheme for safeguarding industry in Britain, so that it similarly applied throughout the Empire.