EMPIRE FREE TRADE

Northern Advocate, 16 June 1930, Page 4

EMPIRE FREE TRADE

The general election campaign In Canada. will doubtless create added inteicst in New Zealand in view of the fact that the Hoik R. B. Bennett (Conservative') the Leader ‘of the Opposition, has pledged .himself to abrogate every new treaty negotiated by the present Government as “injurious to Canadian agriculture.’’ 'Phis is inrerpreted as applying to Hie importation of New Zealand butter. In opening his campaign the Conservative leader pledged his parly to foster and support a plan tVir Umpire trade bnsed on mutual advantage. Tills gave satisfaction to many in New Zealand, who will now wonder If tilings are exactly what they then seemed. Mr Bennett’s campaign in support, of a, policy which would encourage rather than deter the promotion of Ira do within the Umpire is a reflex nf the Conservative movement in the Old Countrv in support of au understanding being eomTmled between all parts of the Umpire. Some, weeks ago, Mr Baldwin made an eloquent appeal for trade within the Empire and he proposed a referendum on the question of

taxation of food from foreign countries. Tie pointed out that the .Me- j Keuna duties had been approved and instituted by a Conservative Go\ern-j ment which had a mandate t rom the; people ami a majority of more thauj 20(1 In Parliament, and he hoped they | would not see the minority Laboni j Government attempting to sweep it j away. There is little doubt that the I Conservative party are pinning l.lieli faith to Empire free trade. Viscount Elib.ank, in a recent speech, said “We all know that in the past the great difficulty ini extending wir (Imperial preferential system has been the exclusion of taxes on foreign foodstuffs, Mr Baldwin is going to the country at the next general election with the j policy of Empire free trade emblazonled on his banner. He has agreed, if returned to power after the general i election, immediately to call together jan Empire Economic Conference to consider unfettered and with a fiee hand the preparation of trade agreements with the Dominions and Colonies.'’ Leaders of the new campaign have repeatedly pointed out that it Canada could Ire assured of a definite market for her wheat, she would be glad to reciprocate and assure Britain of a definite market- for structural steel and coal which Canada is now purchasing from the United States. It must bo plain that this would immensely assist the iron and steel and i-oal mining industries of Britain, since ’ Canada, imported in 1928 from Hie United States goods to the value of £147,737,000, while from the United Kingdom her importations amounted lo the much smaller sum of £38,209,000. [t is admitted that Australia, and New Zealand could together supply (with homo production), all the beef md mutton requirements of the United Kingdom. Advocates of trade within the Empire point to the unsatisfactory trade balance which exists between Britain, and the Dominions. For example, Australia last year imported 574,877,000 and New Zealand £14,877,-

100 foreign manufactured goods, and ■t is proposed to ask oversea dominions to adjust their tariffs to assist trade within the Empire, All that Is proposed under Empire free trade, it is pointed out, is that only foreign foodstuffs should be tax’ed, Empire foodstuffs being admitted free. This is hold to be very important because Empire foodstuffs are grown under wage and labour conditions which are not unlike those in Britain, whereiis foreigners work on a very different basis. There is held a hope that the various units of the Empire will eecognise and . act upon this- principle. Canada’s attitude towards New Zealand butter is inclined to shake- this hope. Empire free trade would seem ho a very .alluring theory. ,