NEW ZEALAND AND CANADA

Otago Witness, Issue 3071, 22 January 1913, Page 9

NEW ZEALAND AND CANADA

TRADE RELATIONSHIP. AUCKLAND, January 10. Tho Canadian Trade Commissioner (Mi W. licddoe), in the course of an interview to-day. gave some interesting partioulart respecting trade between Canada and New Zealand during the past year. In response to a question as to how trade had progressed between the two countries last year, Mr Beddoo replied that during 1912 the trade between Canada and Now Zealand had developed in a very satisfactory manner. “ Last year there wero carried to New Zealand,” he proceeded, “by the Canadian Eastern monthly service 18,348 tons of goods. This service ia subsidised by the Canadian Government at £2OOO per month to send a monthly boat from Montreal in summer and from St. John in winter. During the previous year 22,281 tons were carried by the earns lino, so that last year’s trade represented an increase of 6067 tons. This/’ he continued, “ is not the total tonnage, as a largo quantity of freight from Canada destined for Now Zealand is shipped by the Atlantic Transport Company via New York and London. I confidently look forward,” continued Mr Beddoo, “ during the year 1913 to an expansion in the trade, both via eastern Canada and via Montreal. To relievo tho situation in respect to freight* from Vancouver to New Zealand arrange.ments are being mode to put on extra cargo boats to meet the freight demand*. During the last calendar year there was shipped from Auckland to Vancouver 57,955 boxes (2S,977icwt) of butter. In addition to this there were shipped thousands of sacks of hides, skins, and pelts, a large quantity of wool and kauri gum, and also onions, peas, and eggs, the eggs being in tiro nature of an experimental shipment which proved very satisfactory. Quantities of beef were also sent from New Zealand, and this is only the beginning of an important industry. ThtV figures given,” he went on, * ‘do not represent the total business done between New Zealand and Canada, because a. largo quantity of all commodities, but principally butter, was shipped during tho year to Vancouver, via San Francisco, for tho reason that Vancouver boats had not sufficient space to meet tho demands of tho Canadian custom. It is a feature worthy of note that the boats on tho service from Vancouver to New Zealand, and from Eastern Canada to New Zealand, have proved to be utterly incapable of dealing with the freight offered. In the case of Vancouver, when the 13,500-ton Niagara, the largest boat that will ever have crossed the Equator, i» in commission tho shortage of space will ba overcome. Until, however, New Zealand exporters realise the importance of utilising tho Eastern Canadian service now provided free by tho Canadian Government to send New Zealand produce to Eastern Canadian porto, you will not have rtcoived the fullest advantage from tho satisfactory fiscal com ditkma which now obtain between Canadi and New Zealand I am wry pleased/' he said in conclusion, “ with the growth of trade between $lO two dominions. One of tha strongest bonds that binds nations togethei is the bond of trade, and from this I deduct that tho more business Canada does with New Zealand, and the latter country with Canada, tho closer will bo united the largest and tho smallest of tho oversea* dominions.”