TREATY STANDS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17234, 14 April 1930, Page 9

TREATY STANDS

CANADA’S “GOOD WICKET” TRADE WITH AUSTRALIA ! OTTAWA March 120. j Despite arguments that the trade treaty with Australia benefited Cana* j dian manufacturers, but hit the far-j mors, the treaty will stand, Ministerial i contentions that the Dominion was getting much of the better of the deal, having carried the day in a long Parliamentary debate on trade relations between Canada and Australia and New Zealand. A prope-.al by the farmers’ representatives for the abrogation of the. treaty was defeated by 141 votes to l(i, while tin Opposition amendment seeking its revision was defeated by 103 to 51. The Minister of Finance stated that during the operation of the treaty Canada had sold 'to Australia £13,200,000 worth more than it had bought. The subject hail been springing up recurrently since the session opened, and had had all the earmarks of a Budget debate. The debate, however, had been on tariff principles and the relative benefits of protection and low tariff, applied to manufacturing industry and agriculture. it was clear from the discussions that, while trade within the Empire was warmly embraced in theory, it encountered difficulty in practice, especially if the commodities exported by one Dominion entered into competition with the same commodity produced in another. CRUX OF THE CRITICISM Such effects were the whole crux of the criticism of the New Zealand arrangement, as well as of its parent Australian treaty. The farmers’ proposal was to abrogate the treaty entirely, not so much because of its own direct effects, as because of the effects of its extension to New Zealand. A definite declaration that the Government had no intention whatever of doing away with the treaty was the main pronouncement by the Minister of Finance, Mr. Dunning. The farmers’ assault on the treaty was based on the argument that, though manufacturing industries benefit, the farmers suffer in agricultural competition, which is introduced from the southern Dominions. The Minister went over the ground exhaustively, marshalling figures showing the exports contrasted with imports, and recapitulating the fact that during the operation of the treaty Canada had sold to Australia £13,200,000 worth more than it had bought, and in the case of New Zealand just under £0,000,000 worth more. .Mr Dunning thought these favorable trade balances too good to pass up, although in the case of New Zealand a; new treaty is being negotiated. | The position now is that the Gov-j eminent undertakes to consider, the; question at the Imperial Economic j Conference in October in reviewing, inter-Empire trade, especially as the | new United State atariff affects £15,-j 000,000 worth of Canadian products, j The debates served to bring out a'> strong desire to sec Australia, as well j as Canada, get the full benefit of the, treaty arrangements. BUY MORE: SELL MORE VANCOUVER, March 29. Mr. Richard Bell Irving, the official' of the Canadian Manufacturers’ Association, who is arranging the despatch of a delegation to Ottawa to interview the 'Government, said today: “When the Australian treaty was first signed nobody thought it would stand without revision. The object was that the treaty was to lead to greater development of trade. If we discuss revision now, let it be not for a curtailment of commerce, but rather a revision for a greater interchange of trade. We Canadians should set ourselves to buy more goods from Australia in order that we can sell more there.” PREFERENCE TO CANADA? Major Andrews and other members of the British Columbia lumber trade party, who have just returned from Sydney, will join the delegation to Ottawa. Major Andrews said that his party had been given a magnificent reception in New Zealand and Australia, and they were hopeful that, as the result of their interviews, the shipments of lumber products from British Columbit to those countries would be vastly increased. So keen were business men of those Dominions to increase trade within the Empire, he said, that they would be willing, he believed, to give a tariff preference to Canada equal to that given to Britain, which was one-third of the regular duties. Both Australia and New Zealand were keen on organising an economic conference of tlie British nations on the Pacific, with a view to increasing trade relationships. Unfavorable trade balances with the United Rtates in all these countries were considered most unsatisfactory. Major Andrews was most emphatic in saying that any attempt to destroy or limit the Australian treaty would be the height of foily; The delegation to Ottawa will strive to obtain preference for Canadian lumber for shipment to Australia.