"NOT SPIRIT OF ANZAC"

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 244, 15 October 1929, Page 8

"NOT SPIRIT OF ANZAC"

TRADE WITH AUSTRALIA.

TAftIFF RESTBICTIONS.

NEW ARRANGEMENT URGED.

"There should exist a more reasonable, spirit in regard to tariffs between Australia and New Zealand than there is to-day. It is not now the spirit of Anzac 2 " said Mr. M. Stewart at this morning's conference of the Associated Chambers of Commerce, in presenting an Auckland remit suggesting that the conference should deplore the increasing asperity manifest in the trade relations between Australia and New Zealand, and urge the desirability of opening up negotiations for a new reciprocal tariff on a substantially lower level. Mr. Stewart said so far as New Zealand exports to Australia were concerned, butter was penalised to the. extent of 6d a pound, potatoes and apples- were not allowed into the country, and there was a possibility of heavy duty being placed on onions. Was it on account of the New Zealand wheat duties that the Dominion was penalised in ■ its trade with the Commonwealth, and was Australia adopting the American system of placing high tariff walls round anything that was likely.to interfere with it's secondary and primary industries? He urged the excutive to actively parsue the matter, and endeavour to persuade the Government to confer with representatives of Australia and endeavour to arrange a reasonable reciprocal tariff between the two countries. It was desirable that there should be reasonable tariff facilities to enable exchanges of commodities to be made, particularly when climatic conditions interfered with the crops in one or the other of the countries. Anxious for Reciprocity. Mr. L. A. Eady, in seconding the remit, said if the Associated Chambers of Commerce did nothing else but bring about reciprocal trade with Australia their existence would be justified. . Mr. W. Maclr-i, of Christchurch, said the ideal was free trade within the Empire, but that was unattainable at the moment. Everyone was anxious for reciprocal trade with Australia. While there were tariffs in one direction there had to bo tariffs on the other side to combat them. During the past ten years New Zealand had purchased £50,000,000 of goods from Australia, and, in the same period, the Commonwealth had only bought £25,000,000 of New Zealand's produce. A conference to promote more satisfactory trade relations with the Dominion's nearest neighbour, was necessary. . * Mr. Stewart explained that the 1928 returns showed the Dominion's exports to Australia amounted to £3,403,000, and its imports from that quarter as £3,409,000. There was not such a great disparity between the figures, and there was need for the removal of the present restrictions on trade. Mr. Machin: You are only taking one year. In 1920 we purchased £5,000,000 of goods from Australia, and they took £3,000,000 worth of produce from us. The figures for the ten years are still more illuminating. Mr. A. G. Lunn, of Auckland, said the Dominion was not altogether guiltless in the matter, but the object of ohe remit was to abolish foolish restrictions. The remit was carried.

Higher Tariff on U.S. Goods? It was also decided to recommend the Government to consider the advisability of imposing a higher tariff on American goods pending reciprocal treatment being extended to New Zealand. Mr. Lxinn thought the conference would be unwise to carry the remit, which emanated from Gisborne, and was read by,the president (Mr. C. P. Agar, of Christchurch), as it amounted to a direct attack on a friendly nation. He preferred the instruction to refer to foreign countries, and not one specificnation.'-