§ GENERAL LAURIE (Pembroke and Haverfordwest)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether, in the new Commercial Treaty now being negotiated with Germany, the Dominion of Canada is specially excepted from the favourable rates therein given to the remainder of the British Empire; whether this exception is made on account of the provisions of the tariff lately passed by the Parliament of Canada giving preferential tariff rates to the mother country, and to other portions of the Empire as compared with foreign countries; and whether, in view of the loss of trade that has been inflicted 1116 on Canada by the exclusion of her products from Germany, except on unfavourable terms, the Government have given any consideration to the question whether some compensating advantage can be given to Canada.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURsaid that the negotiations with Germany as to the new Commercial Treaty were proceeding on the lines that it was not applicable to any colony unless notice was given on behalf of such colony that it desired to be included. The hon. Member was probably referring to the law which had been passed by the Reichstag pending the negotiations for the treaty. Under that law Germany had not extended to Canada and Barbados the most-favoured-nation treatment for their products, for those colonies had not, in the opinion of the German Government, reciprocated. He was not aware that the action of Germany had inflicted loss on the trade of Canada, which he was glad to say had greatly increased during recent years.
§ GENERAL LAURIEHas not the importation of Canadian products been forbidden in Germany, except on unfavourable terms, since Canada gave preferential rates to the mother country?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURThe hon. and gallant Gentleman had better put down notice of the question, as this is not a matter with the details of which I am familiar.