TRADE WITH CANADA

Taranaki Daily News, 27 November 1934, Page 7

TRADE WITH CANADA

FACTOR OF TEXTILE PURCHASES.

WOOL INDIRECTLY BOUGHT.

By Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night.

In the view of the Rt Hon. Arthur Meighen, former Prime Minister of Canada, who is a through passenger to San Francisco by the Maunganui, after having represented Canada at the Melbourne centenary celebrations, there is insufficient recognition both in Australia and New Zealand of the fact that Canada is indirectly a very large buyer of wool produced in the two southern Dominions. In an interview to-day, Mr. Meighen pointed out that Canada bought up to 95 per cent, of her imported textiles from Great Britain and in those goods Australian and New Zealand wool was the biggest item. It appeared to be the impression in Australia and New Zealand that trade balances were in Canada’s favour but little or no account was taken of the wool in the tremendous amount of textiles imported from the United Kingdom.

If the, position was not shown in returns, at least it should be appreciated by the people of Australia and New Zealand. Moreover, since the Ottawa conference, Canada had been taking two and a half times as much of New Zealand goods as she had taken prior to that time.

The most cordial relations existed between the Governments of Canada and New Zealand, Mr. Meighen continued, and the Canadian authorities were always ready to enter into friendly discussions on trade matters.

z Mr. Meighen emphasised that Canada had no discriminatory tariff against the products of these southern Dominions. New Zealand and Australia were treated in exactly the same way as Great Britain and if New Zealand gave preference to Great Britain additional to that lately in effect it might be of tremendous disadvantage to Canada.