RECIPROCITY

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1798, 22 August 1906, Page 57

RECIPROCITY

"A TRADE IMPERIALIST.”

Air J. B. Macfarlane, president of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce, in his speech at the annual dinner of the Chamber, held on Friday evening, expressed decided sympathy with the scheme of reciprocal trade preference with British dominions. He said:—l refer, not only to reciprocity with Australia and Canada, but to reciprocity throughout the British Empire. I am aware of the great difficulties there will be in drawing up a treaty between ourselves and Australia, and we must all feel what a loss we sustained when out late Premier was called away whilst on the eve of formulating a treaty between the two countries. (Dear, hear.) There is every reason to believe that his efforts will yet bear fruit, and that negotiations are only temporarily shelved; but to-night I would touch on a question which 1 think is of as great importance, and that is reciprocity with Great Britain. You will have it fresh in your memories that Air Jaffray, Commissioner of Trade, London, recently visited this colony for the purpose of fostering trade between England and New Zealand, and also for the purpose of finding out the cause of so much of this trade being diverted to foreign countries. This object we were all in sympathy with, but it was noticeable that nothing was said by Mr Jaffray about England giving a preference to products from the colonies. I think a great many of us have become converts to Air Chamberlain’s scheme of Empire trade (applause), and it might almost be said that this scheme is meeting with more favour at Home than it did. .The manifesto lately issued by the Cobden Club to the colonies was to my mind, not a very convincing argument, at least from a colonial standpoint. I really believe that if Great Britain gave a preference to colonial products, such as butter, cheese, cereals, etc., that in a very short time the colonies, having such an impetus to production, would be able to so increase their supplies as to make the cost of this preference to G'reat Britain very small indeed. (Prolonged applause.) Whilst on this subject, I feel called upon to speak of what appears to me a danger which we would do well not to disregard. I refer now to any colony entering into a reciprocity treaty with a country outside the British <lominious. (Applause.) The danger lies in this, that such a treaty might hurt the trade of another colony, or England. Take an instance. Supposing England was taxing all meat imported, except that which came from the British colonies, and she entered into a treaty with the Argentine Republic to take their meat free, or on the same terms as our. own, we should naturally feel aggrieved. I consider the matter of reciprocal treaties with foreign countries should be one for the whole Empire to decide. We wish to knit the Empire to'-elian. and one of the things which will he 1 .- to bring ns into closer relationship is

Preferential Trade throughout the who's Empire. (Applause.) 1 therefore think it would be unwise for us at present to suport any reciprocal treaty with any country not under the British flag. (Applause).