Our Trade with Canada.

Waipawa Mail, Volume X, Issue 1020, 9 December 1886, Page 3

Our Trade with Canada.

Auckland Bell. Sir Robert Srout has done tho act of a statesman in tho overtures which ho has addressed to the Premier of Canada, with the object of opening up commercial relations between New Zealand and the Dominion. As a rule commerce does not follow the lines of sentiment, and usually put out its tentacles itself in the direction of anything to be found to feed. on. But the circumstances in this particular case are exceptional and the action initiated by the Premier will, in all probability, lead to important practical results. The trade with Canada hitherto has been virtually nil, but that might bo sufficiently accounted for by tho fact that heretofore the means of communication—or rather tho absence of them—lmvo been prohitory. The sudden bursting out of Canada on the Pacific in full force through the railway traversing its entire length, has made a startling change such as has rarely if ever been scon before in the commercial outlook of any country, and the men of light and leading in tho Dominion, and the people themselves are suddenly looking awuy out wistfully uccross tho Pacific to see to what points they can direct tho stream of commerce that is about to pour westward over the new Dominion railway. Already they have appointed a com-

tnercial delegate Australia, who has taken up his residence in Sydney, and is busying himself in -searching out the possibilities of developing an interchange of commodities, and we apprehend that Sir Robert Stout’s action lias been stimulated by the desire that New Zealand should not be left out in the cold when arrangements are thus being made.