THE RECIPROCITY TREATIES.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 9173, 2 August 1895, Page 5

THE RECIPROCITY TREATIES.

(PKESS ASSOCIATION XELEGBAM). j AUCKLAND, August 1. - The Chamber of Commerce is coavened [ la consider the proposed treaties with \ Casala and South Australia. The Trades' and Labour Association representatives are \ specially invite i. ; The Kiun Timber Coinpuiy eUtaa they • will Jii\v3 to shut up their mills if the ; Camv.ua.n treaty is ratified. Other timber companies endorse this view. A strongly ; worded petition is boing practically ; nusnimously signed by the operatives at. the \ various mills f> Parliament. j

WELLINGTON, August 1. A deputation ot about twenty members of both brandies <A the Legislature waited upon tin; Colonial Trciisurer this afteruoon, to point out- the very serious effect the propo; ( a Reciprocal Treaty with Cauada would probably have upon colonial induatrie3 generally, and especially the Auckland timber c»ud tiah industries. Mr Mltchshon, who introduced the deputation, said the timber people were much alarmed at tue admission of Canadian limber <lu:y free, and were anxious that tho Government should take steps to prevent this, otherwise the industry must be destroy e(, and thousands of our population thrown out of employment. Canadian timber could be sold in Sydney and Melbourne at a price which completely shut out kauri, and for the last five years kauri and Southern timbers had been sold in those markets as a positive loss. Complaints were also made as to the introduction of joinery from Canada. Mr 0. H. Mills stated that Canadian competition would paralyse tne timber industry so far as Nelson and Marlborough was concerned. Mr Maasey also stated that the effect of the treaty would be to close a .'lumber of mills in his district. Mr Meredith urged that the introduction of American timber without, restrictions would ruin the trade, and fee , also opposed inttoductiou of manufactured articles. These opinions were endorsed by several other members, Mr Hall stating that if some outlet were not provided for timber all the Hawke's Bay mills would have to close. Messrs Massey and Houston also drew attention to the alarm felt by fish curers at the proposal to allow the importation of Cauadian salmon free of duty, which threatened to strangle the local industry. Mr Ward, in replying, eaid the object; or the Government hud been to widen tho external trudo of tho colony so as to enable exporters to have larger markets for their produce. The Government had made enquiries at Home and abroad with regard to the timber industry, and the object ot these reciprocal agreements was the opposite' of that which the people concerned seemed to think. While in England he was assured there was a market for' New Zealand timber on the west coast of Canada, aud only very little probability of Canadian timber interfering with our colonial markets. Apart from kauri, he did not think ordinary Canadian limber could compete within the colony. It the colony was to go-ahead, reciprocal treaties were necessary, but he had no wish to injure the colonial timber industry. He was m&kicg inquiries, c&d if tho industry was likely to suffer, the proposals iv the, treaty would bo modified. That should be sufficient assurance to those interested. The same remarks would to the fish industry. He did not see why they should fear the competition of Canadian fiali when the New Zealand article could successfully compete with the Canadian in the markets of New South Wales. It was his duty to collect the facts, and give an independent judgment. They must not take a narrow view, for that would mean that their trade must be confined to their own colony, which he did not think desirable. If any industry waa going to b| damaged it would be the duty of the Government (.o assist it. It was stated during : the discussion that the deputation was ftuite of a uon-party character.