TRADE WITH AMERICA A CLOSER RELATIONSHIP MODIFICATION OF TARIFF DESIRED.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 71, 25 March 1914, Page 8

TRADE WITH AMERICA A CLOSER RELATIONSHIP MODIFICATION OF TARIFF DESIRED.

Messrs. David M. Parry. Mr. John Kirby, jun., and Dr. Snowdon, representing the American Trade Commission of the . National Association of Manufacturers, who are at present in Wellington, spent part of yesterday with the American Consul, Mr. A. E. Whyte. The rest of the day was occupied in studying trade conditions. It is their intention to call on the Prime Minister on his return from the South, and discuss some aspects of the trade of the two countries with him. , Messrs. Parry and Kirby, of Indianapolis and Dayton respectively, are two of the wealthiest and most famous iw«ot*. Hirers in America, and are mraaftoo of the executive of the National Association. In reply to a question as to whether — apait .from a wish to increase American business with New Zealand — they/ had "any practical suggestions to make to the Government with the view of promoting a larger reciprocal trade, Dr. Snowdon, who is the industrial expert of the association, stated :— " We are a manufacturing country, you are an agiicultural country. Our output of manufactures every years amounts to £5,400.000,000. That is an enormous output, and we have to have an outlet for it at the same time. I think it has been proved that there cannot be any large and ,steady trade betwen countries unless it is reciprocal. You have what we want, and we have .what you want : and we fail to see why a reciprocal 'arrangement -should not be advantageous to your country. «We have a country with a population of a hundred millions to take your primary products, and you have only a jiopulation of a million Uo take our rnanutacturcs-. • " One of the greatest difficulties in the way of extending American trade to New Zealand has been the existing preferential tariff law, which affects nearly 200 articles — or 193 articles, to be exact — and many of the articles are produced in the United States on n large scale ; and until the passing of the Preferential Tariff Act of 1903 and the Amendment Act of 1908, they had a very good sale in New Zealand. Under existing conditions, some of these importations ,'from the United States have fallen off to a marked degree. " Prior to the passing of our recent Tariff Act. the high protective tariff of our country left little room for Americans to complain- or /argue against discriminating clutiea when other countries taxed our manufactures rather heavily, but the now American tariff has greatly changed the position, and it seems an opportune time to secure some modification of the preferential tariff. " The tariff rates have been' reduced by the United States on the principal primary products of New Zealand. Wool is free, meat is free, and the duty on butter has ' been cut so low that it is negligible." Dr Snowdon alluded to the immense markets whiph would be afforded to New Zealand in the Eastern States of America by the opening of the Panama Canal " You cannot emphasise too much or too often the aa visibility of yo_ur exporting industries going into America and looking carefully into the conditions there. In fact, if you had a permanent commissioner there it. would be an excellent thing " '.'You must send over expert salesmen to push your stuff," remarked Mr. Parry. " You have done little so far. You want big salesmen to touch the button. We have a big market for you, especially in the Eastern States."