THE EMPIRE'S TRADE 305 



able quantities to Pacific ports outside the Empire, while Argentine 

 meat of a similar kind was being imported into the United Kingdom. 



It has been stated in Chapter I., above, that the total imports and 

 the total exports of animal foodstuffs between the overseas parts 

 of the British Empire as a whole and foreign countries approxi- 

 mately balance each other, and that the same is true of animal 

 feedstuffs. These movements may now be examined in greater 

 detail with reference to the separate items, in order that any marked 

 tendencies may be noted with reference to future developments. 

 Among the Dominions, Canada has been the greatest importer of 

 animal foodstuffs from foreign countries, and Canada and Australia 

 the greatest exporters. The Canadian trade has been mainly with 

 the United States. 1 It has been noted above 2 that Canada and 

 the United States are now practically one area with refeience to 

 the production and the consumption of animal foodstuffs and feed- 

 stuffs, since the changes in the American tariff in 1913. The 

 geographical conditions will naturally favour an increase in this 

 exchange trade over the international frontier in the future, owing 

 to the differences in soil, climate and economic conditions on either 

 side of it. If, particularly, a shortage arises in the United States 

 in a special kind of animal foodstuffs, any Canadian surplus in that 

 article is more likely, in the ordinary course of trade, to move 

 southwards by rail than to cross the ocean to the United Kingdom. 3 

 In this connection it is to be observed that wages and purchasing 

 power are relatively high in the United States, and that the average 

 American consumer can afford to pay a high price for the surplus 

 foodstuffs of other countries, if a threatened or actual shortage 

 again occurs in his home supplies. 



The Australian export trade in butter and meats to Eastern 

 countries shows clearly the influence of geographical position. 

 The total value of these exports in 1912 (which were mainly to 

 places outside the Empire) was over half a million sterling more 

 than double the value of the same exports in 1901. It is uncertain 

 whether this trade will expand at the same rate in the future as 

 it did in the period 1901-12, but even if it develops at a moderate 

 rate only, it will, in the near future, be a feature of no small im- 

 portance. An examination of the distribution of the Australian 

 export trade in tallow and in wheat and floui, shows that large 

 quantities of these products also have been consigned to places 



1 In the period 1909-1913 the most important items in which there were 

 excess imports into Canada from the United States were meats, lard, eggs, 

 live sheep, oil-cakes and maize, while among those in which there were excess 

 exports were milk and cream, live cattle, oats and barley. In a number of 

 these articles there were trade movements from each country into the other, 

 and in some others, such, for example, as butter and cheese, there were 

 considerable movements from Canada into the United States and vice versa, 

 which more or less balanced each other. 



a See Part I., Chap, iv., p. 53, Note 2. 



3 This is well illustrated by the export trade in cattle from Western Canada 

 iri recent years. See (Cd, 8458), OO. G94-718, 



