TRADE WITH CANADA.

Mataura Ensign, 17 April 1912, Page 7

TRADE WITH CANADA.

THE DOf/iINION'S OPPORTUNITY. GREAT POSSIBILITIES. PER UNITED PBESS ASSOCIATION. AUCKLAND, April 16. "I haw. received information by last mail to the effect that New Zealand butter had been selling during the months of February and the early part of March at Is 7d per pound in Ottawa, whereas the price of Canadian creamery butter during the same period was Is 8d per pound." These remarks were made by Mr Beddoe, Canadian Trade Commissioner in New Zealand, this morning when waited upon for information concerning the prospects of New Zealand's trade with Canada. To reach Ottawa butter from this Dominion has to travel about 11,000 miles by boat.to Vancouver and then 3500 miles by rail. Further it is susceptible to cool storage charges. Therefore the fact that our butter is capable of being sold at a lower rate than the local product is somewhat remarkable. "What of the quality?" Mr Beddoe was asked. "Well," he replied, "the comparison appears to be in favor of the New Zealand article, as my correspondent remarks: "The butter is beautiful, and we prefer it to our own creamery butter." A further fact of interest mentioned by Mr Beddoe was that'potatoes have been selling lately in Ottawa for lis 4d per bag on a rising market. The demand had been so great that importations had been made from Ireland. "It is intimated to me," said the Commissioner, "that many thousands of bags could have boon sold at a good price had they been available. The position is certainly a remarkable, one; that Canada, which is such a heavy producer of dairy and agricultural produce, should find it necessary to buy butter from New Zealand and potatoes, from Ireland." Mr Beddoe said that 1 he was aware that large quantities of onions are shipped to Vancouver from here at this time of the year. | Asked as to the condition of trade generally between Canada and New Zealand Mr Beddoe said that Canada finds no fault with expansion of trade in so far as it affects Canadian exports to New Zealand. The returns of the jfor the fiscal year ended March 30, [l9lO. he said, showed an increase of £20,000 over the previous year, and last year's increase was £BO,OOO over amd above" the 12 months preceding. From the Vancouver side the vessels on the new Canadian-New Zealand service had large cargoes from Canada for this Dominion. "A review of the situation," remark-1 ed the Commissioner, "discloses the advantages of preferential tariff within the Empire. Previous to reciprocal preference relations with' Canada the mutual trade of the two countries was much less than at present." The importance of adequate transportation facilities he also emphasised. In reply to further questions Mr Beddoe said that boots which came from Montreal to New Zealand subsidised by the Canadian Government did not return to Canada. This Dominion was thus losing the opportunity of securing' valuable- -additional facilities for export. Some of the boats went to London loaded with New Zealand produce, while others of them went to Australia and loaded produce for the Home market. "The significant feature herein," said Mr Beddoe. "is that Canada pays £2OOO every month for a vessel equipped with refrigerator space (which is not needed for her own exports) to carry her manufactured products to New Zealand from Eastern Canada, and this action is made nugatory from the New Zealand standpoint, because this Dominion docs not take advantage of these boats. Canada, by paying the subsidy alone," added Mr Beddoe, "provides the character of vessel that you need in your return business, but which we don't actually need in the shipping of our manufactured articles to New Zealand."