TRADE WITH CANADA.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 158, 28 March 1908, Page 4

TRADE WITH CANADA.

ADDRESS BY MR. J. S. LARKE. RESOLUTION BY THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. Mr. J. S. Larko, Canadian Trade Com< missioner, addressed a meeting of the Chairv ber of Commerce last night, Mr. Barkness (Proficient) in the chair.: The Chairman spoke of the importance of fostering trade relations within the Empire, and expressed sympathy with efforts to cheapen cable; charges, tho : All-Red Route, and other projects having similar aims. ' - - CANADA AS A MARKET. , Mr.. Larke congratulated the members of the Chamber on the great growth of tho trade of the: city, since he nrst. visited it thirteen years ago. Referring to the progress; of, Canada; -which now- had a population lof 6} millions,-lie said t-bat within tho last .40, yoars' 'tlioi t-idb of British, emigration. had been- diverted from the United- States to Canada, which had also; attracted immigration direct from the States. One authority had said (and- ho believed the. estimate was .within, the .mark), that within the next fitly years Canada would have- a! population of lifty millions. The trado between Now Zoar land and Canada," though iiot large, was increasing, but 1 , unfortunately, the Now Zeac land; statistics did iiot rcoord, as; Canadian trade,- that which; went through New York or London. Taking "the Canadian statistics, .in which this defect was remodied, the' imports : from New . Zealand were'valued at'4l,ooo dollars, and the exports: to- Now, Zealand 454,000 dollars in 19U3. . .By'loo6, Canada's imports from New Zealand, had risen to . 302,000 dollars, and her exports to this coun- • try were 734,000 dollars'. \ Thus, -while Canada's exports to New, Zealand increased .75 per cent. in. three years., the exports .of ■ Now Zealand to Canada hadVincreased eightfold. Tho trado' was there to be done, and it must not. be supposed'that a country pro- . during a commodity , was any , bar, to its importing quantities of that same-commodity. Canada was the,, greatest cheese-producing- : country in'the world,' and £et it imported cheese.-,. To-'day, at Toronto, in the heart of a'great butter-producing.district; the -.people were 1 eating New Zealand butter. Canada , \vas' getting ono-eigbth of, her., imported butter from : New Zealand, and one-three hun-: .-. dredth of her imported" provisions, but very little of New Zealand's wool, flaS, sheep, and skins. Yet tko market was there. SOME HINDRANCES. The market ; for Canadian goods was hero also, but one check to trade had been tho great Home demand caused'by rapid immi - gration. This Homo trade paid the'manufacturer better than exporting,. but the. Canaclians had/tried to. keep up their'connection with New Zealand for:the sake of tbe'futuro. . Another hindrance was, the inertia, which, made, it difficult for trade to; change, ita ; channels. \ This was being, partly overcome by tile work of~ thoso. in .-'.positions like his own. : He-had succeeded in.securing modi- : fications;iri ; the Australian tariff, and he'.and 'othere similarly; engaged , had helped on. th* \movement which resulted in tho Pacific': cable. CLOSER 1 COMMUNICATION. : : Speaking, sympathetically _of the All-Red Routo scheme,-Mr.'Larko said it would have , . to como when the'people showed that they wanted it. :.-'The/Pacific cable.had, >so far, benefited the United States and not Canada . as yet,- but. New .'Zealand , had, been saving probably £25,000 a year by it'. It was. New Zealand's business, hecon&idercd, to provide tho,cold storage on the trans-Pacific steaiiicrp ; which was necessary for the increased export of. New Zealand products to Vancouver. Steam- ' . communication between' New Zealand and . Eastern - Canada was also needed, and there . V , was plenty of trade .waiting for it. . The.. Canadian ,Constitution' contained a unique clause, declaring thai' the union of the pro-, vinces would benefit thirßritish Empire, and this {brea'dth of viow , mado it the easiest working Constitution, in'the- world. : The irn- ' ■' migration .policy was helping to keep the British .people' under the flag, ; . and preferential:. trade had been best, adver- . tisemont. He_ hoped New Zealand would-da •yet more for.Canada than she Tiad yet done, .' as , they' belonged .to.the same family. "... (Ap--1 plause.); • ' . /' ' . '• ■' OTHER' SPEAKERS. ' ' . Mr. D. J. Nathan, in proposing; a vote l , of thanks to Mr. Larke, said that it would " greatly benefit; New yZealand if ;■ better . steamers with refrigerating space were run < between Australasia and , the . Canadian 1 West. He hoped - the Chamber of Commerce , t would ,support-Mr. Larke in trying- to; in-. ! - duce .the/Governments interested to, grant i adequate subsidies./ He thought .that,.when , Canadians"' put . as much energy into their trade' mth - Australasia, as ; they Vput ' now . , into, immigration, a> line of steamers to ] the ; East Coast of Canada would be provided naturally without subsidies.. Mr. Nathan ?; also urged the desirability of cheapening > > cabling,-which, he insisted, could bp effected without diminution of profits.' . . . vv The resolution of thanks. Was duly carried ! and acknowledged. ' . - : Mr./W. J. Kent, who is visiting New ' ■ Zealand'as the representative of the Docks Committee of-, tho Bristol Corporation, said I • that tho. people,, of that city,, with their ' great municipally-owned docks, were anxious •/ to help forward tho All-Red route. / , , j It was resolved, on- the motion of the President: - . . -.: '--'v- ' "That this Chamber expresses its " . hearty, concurrence with the .views'stated 0 by Mr. Larke in regard to tho.' advan- . . tages of reciprocal trade and the necess sary improvements in: communication j. between: the two Dominions, and .will , take ste]» aS opportunity offers to urge the same on our Government." •