▁and ▁increased ▁the ▁margin ▁of ▁preference ▁enjoyed ▁by ▁Australian ▁d ried ▁fruit . ▁The ▁ 1 9 2 5 ▁agreement ▁was ▁soon ▁the ▁source ▁of ▁some ▁controvers y . ▁It ▁was ▁str enu ously ▁opposed ▁by ▁Canadian ▁far mers , ▁who ▁fe ared ▁new ▁competition ▁from ▁imported ▁Australian ▁meat ▁and ▁but ter . ▁Canada ' s ▁conc ili atory ▁prime ▁minister ▁fre tt ed ▁about ▁the ▁accord ▁which ▁caused ▁this ▁no isy ▁debate ▁and ▁condem ned ▁the ▁minister ▁responsible . ▁Mack en zie ▁King ' s ▁liberal ▁philosophy ▁was ▁off ended ▁by ▁the ▁prospect ▁of ▁raising ▁Canadian ▁tar iffs ▁on ▁imports ▁from ▁third ▁countries ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁give ▁Australia ▁an ▁increased ▁margin ▁of ▁preference ▁for ▁d ried ▁fruit . ▁Moreover , ▁these ▁prov isions ▁were ▁aim ed ▁primarily ▁at ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁just ▁as ▁trade ▁between ▁the ▁two ▁North ▁American ▁countries ▁had ▁begun ▁to ▁recover . ▁The ▁prime ▁minister ▁gave ▁the ▁accord ▁only ▁lu ke w arm ▁support , ▁and ▁no ▁sooner ▁had ▁the ▁agreement ▁been ▁approved ▁than ▁he ▁delight ed ▁in ▁cri pp ling ▁one ▁of ▁its ▁main ▁prov isions . ▁An ▁Australian ▁program ▁to ▁promote ▁the ▁export ▁of ▁but ter ▁was ▁found ▁guilty ▁on ▁a ▁technical ity ▁of ▁viol ating ▁Canada ' s ▁anti - dump ing ▁legisl ation ▁in ▁early ▁ 1 9 2 6 . ▁King ▁rejected ▁the ▁Australian ▁prime ▁minister ' s ▁repeated ▁ple as ▁for ▁understanding ▁and ▁ins isted ▁on ▁impos ing ▁pun itive ▁duties . ▁When , ▁later ▁in ▁the ▁de cade , ▁a ▁sl ump