The Hastings Standard Published Daily. MONDAY, JAN. 4, 1897. INTERCOLONIAL TRADE

Hastings Standard, Issue 211, 4 January 1897, Page 2

The Hastings Standard Published Daily.

MONDAY, JAN. 4, 1897. INTERCOLONIAL TRADE

I"i r the cause that lacks assistance. For th ■ wrongs that nred resistance, For th<" future in the distance, . And the fjood that we can do.

Thk main object of the Conference of Premiers proposed liy tlie Hon R. .1. Seddon. and which wiii in all probability be held in Unhurt after the Federal Conference, is no doubt to take into consideration the <piestion of reciprocity. The misuse of tin- powers involved in lot ill (iovt rinueiit has been carried to excess. Here are seven colonies peopled by the same race, speaking tint .same with the same sentiments and aspirations, owning allegiance to the .same sovereign, :nd the «ail|e the.'. V el >o divided I V eUStOIIIS hiirrii rs as to be to all intent* an 1 pur|»ose-< M'\t>n paiale nations. The proposed Conference if it i.s to brim.; aliotii reeiprocitv may be viewed jis a mcctinj.i of foreign statc-iinen to draw np a trade tn aty. It i~ um It -» ai" liiii-t HKtilitt the e\ ii* of thu protn tioii. tiirilT, the fad of protection ha.H sunk deeply and there i* no immediate product of rooting it out. Th. in \t I* -t thing so fur as the coloiiie-. are conceriwd is t i i t (pon im< m h !!!!_>. ■ if trailon ii I i i U mitaj/einw to all. Tlio* wh i \pt-ct Mich a tni'ie treaty completed in oui» sittnik* of the I'remicr*! will 1 e diwpjxiinud. I'n jtidit «•■.. jt uloit-ii itiltl votitv 1 interests will careful handling, m 1 the difficulties that thus

surround the whole question of reciprocity make its accomplishment a matter of great doubt. Still reciprocity in the absence of absolute freetrade is so necessary and desirable that every effort should be made to bring it about. To us in New Zealand the value of intercolonial trade is of great importance. Being more favorably circumstanced than our neighbors we are all able to produce many things that are required by the people " across the sea," and were it not for the fact that Customs duties have weighted our products, the trade with the Australian colonies and ourselves would have reached respectable figures. The duties have, to use a vulgarism "dished" us and our trade with the s other colonies has shrunk. There is some prospect of making up lost ground with New South Wales that colony having reverted to freetrade, but with the other colonies in the present temper of the people, reciprocity is our only hope. The Christchurch Press points out that in 1895 our total exports to Australia and Tasmania were valued at £1,201,125, and our imports from the same colonies at £1,085,758. Ten years ago we did far more business with them than we do now. " In 1880 our total exports to the other colonies of the group amounted to no less than £1,705,8:11, and our imports therefrom to £1,918,870. The falling off in our exports to our best customers, Victoria and New South Wales, during the last six years has be en really serious. In 1889 Victoria took our products to the value of £820,828 ; in 1895 the amount had shrunk to £850,981. In 1889 New South Waif* was our customer for goods to the value of £1,009,190, in 1891 the amount had fallen to almost exactly one-half. Last year there was a recovery of £025,901, and now that New South Wales has adopted a freehold tariff no doubt her imports from this colony will steadily grow, and we expect that the figures for 1890 will show a substantial improvement on those of 1895. In regard to the other colonies the same unsatisfactory tale o£ a continually shrinking trade, has to be told. Even our exports to Western Australia are less now, in spite of the mining boom, than they were in 1891 or 1892, oud only a fraction over what they ware in 1880." With these figures before us, we can easily realise the importance of such a Conference as Mr Seddon has thought fit to propose, and we can earnestly hope that the best results may follow the efforts of the Conference.