The New Zealand Times. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 1911. THE CANADIAN AGREEMENT

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7355, 6 February 1911, Page 4

The New Zealand Times. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 1911. THE CANADIAN AGREEMENT

Apparently wo shall have to await the arrival of mails before being ablo to get any clear conception of the arguments by jvvhich opponents of the CanadianUnited States tariff agreement fortify their theory that ratification of the proposals will "tend to destruction of tho Empire/ 5 The coble messages hitherto received on tho subject have merely recorded the conclusions of certain commentators, the reasons for arriving atthesn conclusions being left almost wholly to the imagination. So far as people at this distance are able to see the alleged danger to. the Imperial connection is a figment of tho imagination. This country, for instance, would bo very glad indeed to secure the free admission, of farm products to the United States. Indeed it is a matter of much regret now that our wool, meat and dairy exports are not given an open market by the Republic. Similarly we should see reason to rejoice if by any possible means the fiscal barriers which shut our staple exports out of Europe could be broken down or even partially removed. The result to Now Zealand of being permitted to place her produce before the consuming public in America and Europe would bo of very material financial consequence. and were it necessary, there can hardly bo doubt that the country would willingly offer reciprocal advant-* ages to these new customers. To tell us that one of the things wo are so anxious to obtain—new markets—must bo avoided because of danger to the Empire involves acceptance of theories which would not stand one moment’s contact with opportunity of going in a direction contrary to the one they favour. It is therefore hard to understand the altogether despairing views expressed by a section of the London press at the terms of the Canadian agreement. The agreement certainly / goes a long way towards discounting tho peculiar doctrines advanced by these particular newspapers during the last'few years, and in this rebuff to their policy is to be' found, we imagine, the reason for suddenly discerning danger to the Empire because a British dominion finds a fresh avenue for disposal of her wares. If the British market affords a more profitable trading point for Canadian producers than does New York or Chicago we may be sure that Canadian trade will gravitate to London. If the American market is to be more attractive then the only reasonable' comment seems to bo that tho Canadians may be considered very fortunate in having such an opportunity for augmenting their revenue.- The alternative is one this ’ country has every reason to envy her sister Dominion. A theory of Empire based upon an elaborate system of taxes and restraint of exchange with other countries may, in fact does, commend itself to some people, but is not at all likely to be accepted by primary producers or the majority of traders in any part of the British possessions.