TRADE TREATY

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 10 February 1926, Page 5

TRADE TREATY

CANADA NOT SATISFIED.

INDUSTRIES MENACED. DISCUSSION IN THE HOUSE. BY CABLE-PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT. OTTAWA, Feb. 8. On behalf of the Conservative Party, Mr Donald Sutherland, the member for South Oxford, moved an amendment in the House of Commons to the Address from tliei Throne. The wording of the amendment was as follows 1: “We desire to express regret that, resulting from the policy of the recent trade agreement by the present Government, the dairy products industry of Canada has been subjected to most unfair and unwarrantable competition from other countries, and that the Speech from the Throne gives no indicatiOn of remedial legislation which would remove, the discrimination under which the industry suffers.” Mr Sutherland claimed that the interests of the farming industry had been sacrificed through the Australian treaty. He said that there was scarcely a city Or a town in Canada in which Australian and New Zealand butter or cheese was not on sale.

Mr Sutherland expressed resentment against any effort to make Canada a ‘ ‘ dumping ground ’ ’ for countries with a high protective tariff. It rvas his opinion that it rvas time to give notice of the termination of the treaty. The Hon. J. A. Robb (acting-Min-ister for Trade and Commerce) said: “I will admit that the treaty with Australia is not all that I desire, but it takes two to make-a bargain.” He did not believe the prices of dairy products had been affected by such isolated influences as Australian exportation. Butter coining from Australia did not average one-third of an ounce per head of Canada’s population. As for eggs, Mr Robb suggested that Australia could never compete with the Canadian farmers in the fresh egg market because the Australian egg was seven weeks old when it reached Montreal. ‘ ‘ And they don’t buy that land of fresli egg in 7 ’ added ALr The balance of trade- had for 111 any years been in favour of Canada, Mr Robb said. ' For the twelve months ended December,, 1920 the unport ,from Australia amounted to 2,271,-16 dollars, while Canada’s exports to Aus tralia totalled 14,075,216 dollars