THE “ENJOYMENT” OF TRADE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22096, 28 October 1933, Page 5

THE “ENJOYMENT” OF TRADE

TO THE EDITOR, Sir, —A cablegram from Canberra published yesterday attributes to Mr L. J. Schmitt, the New Zealand Trade Commissioner in Australia, the belief that, because during the years 1931-32 the exports of Australian goods to New Zealand had been £5,119,000, while the imports of New Zealand goods by Australia had been £2,185,000, Australia had enjoyed 72 per cent, and New Zealand only 28 per cent, of the transtasman trade. This belief appears to indicate a curious misapprehension as to the identity of thepersons who may properly be said to enjoy external trade. I have always had the impression that it was the purchasers of-Australian goods imported into New Zealand who enjoyed them, and that, unless they had reasonable expectations of enjoying them, they would cease to purchase them. t The variety of Austra- . lian goods entering New Zealand is too extensive for me to be able to claim direct knowledge of all of them, but 1 have recently purchased two pineapples which I have reason to believe were ex-

ported from. Australia, and there is no doubt whatever that, in the case of these ’ Australian exports it was I who enjoyed them, and not Australia. It is to be # hoped that Australians who are being v urged to purchase goods from New Zea--4 land will not take too seriously the sug- ;?■ gestion which seems to be implied in Mr Schmitt’s calculations that if they do ven--4 ture to buy these things, they will not ' enjoy them.—l am, etc., Allan G. B. Fisher. University of Otago, October 27.