TRADE ACROSS THE TASMAN.

NZ Truth, Issue 407, 12 April 1913, Page 4

TRADE ACROSS THE TASMAN.

I"Darn1 "Darn Fisher's Mission. • / ■ . i Is a Better Understanding Possible? The Basis of Reciprocity. To time his visit to Australia for the purpose of consulting with the Australian Minister of Customs on the question of reciprocity between New Zealand with Australia with the. arrival m Australian waters of New Zealand's gift battleship may have been one" of those freakish political performances for which "Darn" Fisher is becoming famous. Incidentally, "Darn," m itlelbourne, made it quite , clear that the Government to which he belongs; had not made the gift, and,. . generally speaking, though he made the most of the occasion, "t>arn" Fisher has not put his foot m It. No doubt, he isn't quite sure yet of the feelings of New Zealanders, who permitted themselves to be taxed for £70,000 per annum for the privilege of having a cruiser stationed somewhere m the North Sea. , Incidentally "Darn" Fisher's presence m Melbourne, the temporary , seat of the Federal Government, at the time "our" Dreadnought 1 arrived at Port Phillip might not have been particularly convenient for our Minister, whose alleged mission is to get into closer touch with Australia 1 on the basis of trade reciprocity. The arrival of "our" Dreadnought is a sort of cold douche on our ambitions as a self-governing country, inasmuch as H.M.S. New Zealand is New Zealand's former answer to the suggestion that the Dominion should., federate for naval protection with Australia and maintain an Australasian fleet, which would protect Australasian trade routes and generally set up the Dominions of the Southern Pacific ■as real integral parts of the Great British Empire. While Austcaliais patriotically setting out to assist the Mother Country, by establishing its own naval unit— a real Australian fleet, and, incidentally, assuring Australia some semblance of protection against invasion and the protection of-Australasian trade routes— New Zealand has preferred to remain tied to Mother's apron strings, and the result is that New Zealand, m the event of the outbreak of hostilities, will get such protection as the fleet on the China station can afford. Moreover, it was generally recognised that "our" Dreadnought was to be the flagship of the China Station. Now' we find it is to be nothing of the sort. After the people of this country have' seen what they pay £70,000 per annum for,, the vessel is to go w to the North Sea and there help to menace and keep m check our .loving; cousins> the Germans. While, therefore, a conference of Ministers on trade reciprocity is an almost natural sort of thing, the appearance of this Dreadnought gift is sufficient to make the Australian wonder what on earth New Zealand is after. * ■ * .'-;■*' The question of i-eciprocal trade rela-. tions between New Zealand and Australia is nothing new. It has not been con-, ceived m the mighty brain, of F. M. B. Fisher, and "Truth 1 ! hardly supposes that "Darn" Fisher will for a moment suggest" that he is the pioneer of this movement. Had Mr. Seddon lived there can be no doubt that the matter would have been carried along, and it does not say much for the Liberal Party of Now Zealand which dropped the subject like a hot potato, and has. by its disruption and the state of politics, permitted a member of a Conservative, Government to ertter into negotiations with the most democratic Government of all times. However, to date, the Hon. "Darn" does not seem to have made much headway; at the most he is sanguine of coming to some arrangement, but what the hoped-for arrangement Is has not been, disclosed. The available figures go to show that Australia's -'trade 'with' New Zealand during the 10 years, eriding 3910— the latest shown m the Year Book— dwindled away considerably, m fact, by nearly a quarter of a million pounds sterling, which is mainly due to the fact that m the years In question the trade between New Zealand and Victoria, showed a decline of over half a million pounds sterling, though the total figures of each State show, with the exception of Victoria and Western Australia, an Increase. For the same period the exports from New Zealand to Australia show a slight increase, due to the fact that New Zealand goods found their way into Victoria. On the figures, New South Wales is New Zealand's biggest, though not most profitable, trader, because m 1910 the New South Wales exports to this country amounted to £1.4G3,98G. compared with £1,275,003 m 1000, or an increase to New South Wales of £185,983. In 1910 New Zealand imported to the Ma State goods to tho value of £1.067.79-1, compared with £1,192,570 m 1900, a decrease of nearly ,£27,000. Covering the same period, viz., from 1900, when Victorian importations to Now Zealand were £1,293,194 to 1910, when the figures dropped to £$39^229, xre find that Now Zealand's exports, to -t&«

same State were, m 1900, £514,231, and m 1910 £,874,471, which shows that Victoria is a good customer, dealing mainly m timber, horses, hides, phorium 'fibre, seeds, grass and clover, etc. Victoria's chief export for the period covered tobacco, cigars, cigarettes, snuff, materials for bicycles and tricycles, carriages, and materials, leather, potatoes, tanning materials, stationery, etc. The main items of exports to New Zealand from New South Wales consisted of coals, timber, ispecie (gold .and silver) . . lead, iron and ■st<»ei,:^pririted 1 matter, drapery, etc., while New Zealand's main articles m exchange were: Timber,' . animals (horses and sheep), wool, gold, fibre, seeds, grass and clover, skins, etc.. etc. Of course, it is quite, possible that these items, selected at random, prove nothing at all, but it cannot be denied that here and there are •to be found many items upon which a ( reciprocal arrangement can be based. Perhaps Mr. Fisher means well, but he is' the 'representative of a Government which allegedly has the interests of the farmer at heart, and the"Backbone" of New • Zealand, like the "Backbone" m many, other countries, is the hardest person or persons of any to please where it comes to a. revision, of tariff or a trade reciprocity^ between countries which have similar industries to trade m. * \'\^"«7.?. l iw»i' *- : U *■'"■' ■■■■'*.''■■ • ■ • ; Trade ■ "reciprocity .between Australia and New Zealand is a thing greatly to be desired. Absolute freetrade between the Australian States and New Zealand is, of course, impossible; it would' be ruino.us where it wouid not be ridiculous, but it is possible that on many matters a satisfactory arrangement can be based. Whether, of course, "Darn" Fisher is the Minister to bring about such an.arrangement is another matter. Newr Zealand's petty parochial, if not provincial, spirit has long been adverse to a better commercial understanding between the Dominion aiicl the Commonwealth, but the visit of Lord Kitchener and his report on New Zealand's military system did much to break down that prejudice. He pointed out that Australia and New Zealand had everything m common from a military defence point of view, and, generally, the assertion that m a time of trouble New Zealand would heed to look for assistance from Australia -wasan as r ' sertion not altogether relished, even if apparent. Furthermore, it now seems that, sooner or later, New Zealand' must combine with Australia for the purpose of naval defence, and its attitude on the point is one of the most worthy features of the l^assey'' Government. It seems inevitable that New Zealand and Austral la, because of their positions m the Southern Pacific, must combine from a military and naval point of view, and to pave the way for this combination, a commercial treaty must be entered into. The basis on which such a treaty can ,be made is one which requires deep and careful consideration, though whether the present Government of New Zealand can/ be trusted tb carry out the negotiations , and bring the matter to a successful issue is something about which "Truth" has grave doubts.