TO NEW ZEALAND IN TWENTY DAYS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 137, 10 June 1907, Page 6

TO NEW ZEALAND IN TWENTY DAYS.

--EX JOSEPH WARD OX THE MAIL SERYTCE. INPENNY CABLEGRAMS. (From Ohr Special Correspondent.) LONDON, May 3. At the Colonial Institute banquet Sir Joseph Ward delivered an important speech on the questions of ocean transit and the cable services. The programme was a long one and he did not commence till 11.30. He had, as has been ■flu- c:i-c at all meetings which lie has addressed. ;i splendid reception, and at the conclusion was heartily cheered, lie rmidc important suggestions with the object of bringing rhe colonies closer together. He urged that with the development that was going on it was important that nome matters of a prar-ti-eal character should not be over-looked, hut should be k<*pt in the forefront by the Prime Ministers ivho were now in Kngland. He dwelt at considerable length upon the bar to trade that the 'present charges through the Suez Canal imposed upon shipping, and which meant a charge upon passengers and cargo.

He said that it was a fine stroke of genius ou the part of Disraeli to have secured a partnership iv the Canal for England. Now there was a feeling that the c-havjres were being kept up, notwithstanding the increase of shipping, in the interest of shareholders. He pointed out that it was almost impossible for' Australia and New Zealand to send cargo steamers through the Canal, owing to the charges. He referred to it as a toll-gate, of which., he said, he bad an absolute abhorrence; that be had only seen one during the last ten years, aud iliat \va-- since his arrival in England— tin the road to the Crystal Palace!

lie point-ed out the great importance in farmers and merchants in the Antipodes to be able to get their perishable produce to England by the quickest possible route. It was etrually important to English consumers that as little delay as possible should taice place in transit, and he declared that if the Suez Canal •was available at a cheap rate for cargo steamers, to say notning of the advantage that would accrue to mail steamers, it would shorten the route to England by days. He hoped that the British Government would bring all the pressure to bear that was possible, to bring about an improvement in this direction, and suggested thai, if necessary, it would pay EngVa-ml and France., and the colonies joining -with them, in guaranteeing the present dividend to the shareholders of the Suez Ciinal. and allowing the ships of Britain andtheeolonies.and.ofeoiir.se. of -France, who was a partner in the Canal, to go through without payment at all. J_ips of other countries that had jio interest iv the Canal itself, would, of -course, require to pay. and hi this way a vafustble concession to the British ships, as well as those of France, would be «c cured. THE VANCOUVER ROUTE. Another matter that he strongly urged upon the consideration of all who were anxious to bring the colonies and England closer together, was the shortening of the time between Britain and Australia and New Zealand. He. had given the matter considerable thought, and he ■had no he-sita-tion in sayimr that it was quite, possible, by an improved Vancouver service, to bring New Zealand •within t\%enty days of London. He said with the modern steamships of full power and suitable size, that four to Canada from London was capable of easy accomplishment. The journey across Canada could be made in four days, and with steamers of the class thai, are now to be found in numbers trading between England and America, the journey could be performed with comparative ea*e in twelve days. This was a matter iv which the British Government should join Canada, Australia and _yew Zealand in bringing into existence. It was perfectly idle to speak about bringing the colonies closer together if we neglected what was not only prafiticaiile but necessary in the direction that he urged. He had already spoken to Sir Wilfrid Laurier on the matter, who favoured his suggestion, j CHEAPER CABLES.

Again, another way to help the people of the Antipodes to be brought into close touch with their brothers of Britain was by cheapening the cable charges now obtaining. He went- so far as to say that it would pay Britain, India. Africa, Australia, and New Zealand to, if necessary, guarantee the present income that ihc cables between those countries were returning. In this he included the Pacific cable, which should receive equal consideration with the others connecting the different colonies to which he had alluded. The present rates, which were greatly reduced from what they were formerly, are altogether too high for ordinary people. He saw no reason whatever "why tables should not be at most a shilling, or indeed sixpence per word, to give the opportunity to the people who depended upon this link for tlieir communication with business people or friends in the ordinary sense, and there would be an accession of business, which, in his judgment, would quickly repay the owners of the cables for making suebfa forward i step. With the transit through the Suez tanal made availahle for hundreds of steamers that novr could not use it at I all, and with a mail service that would bring New Zealand within 20 days of England, and with cheapened eommonica- j tion by which ordinary hirthdav eongra- ' tulations could be sent by the friends and relatives of the people in the Old I Land, of whom thousands are to be ! found in Australia and Xew Zealand, it i .would bring about a new era in the matter of uniting the Empire and bringin-r its people into closer touch with one j another.

The New Zealand Premiers observations upon these and other matters were heartily cheered by the larae assembly which was present.

IA COMPLIMENT FROM MR ASQUITH. Sir Joseph Ward, in speaking "at the Conference a tew days later, brought this matter of ocean transit prominently before the British Government and the members of the Conference, in the course ■ot a speecn advocating preference, which speech was afterwards referred to in highly complimentary terms br the Chancellor of the Exchequer Mr i< f id „, thE SpeeCh * as a ffi °st "bland valuable one, and he had listened to th T do fSfc attention. He agreed with Sr Joseph Ward that the question Pt fast mail and passenger eommunieafeon between Inland and the colonies was one of the most important thai eomd be dealt with, and he favoured giving the suggestions the favourable conBaeiation of the Government. H_ hoped Biatthe proposal -would he met by New gfi«lg_d. Cap-da, and Ausfeafia, and he

he would do his part, as. Chancellor of the Exchequer, in assisting, and would recommend his colleague's to aid in bringing about such a valuable connection. He was also struck by Sir Joseph Ward's remarks upon the question of improving the condition of the Suez Canal. He did not know how far it was possible to effect changes in this direction, b.ut he would say that he thought there should be a. cheapening of the at least upon tramp steamers, so as to give the opportunity for cargoes to be carried at a cheaper ra.te than now. In this way a valuable and practical work in loading the Empire would be effected

BRITAIN'S RIVALS IN THE COLONIES. At the Chamber of Commerce banquet, at which 625 people sat down, Sir Joseph Ward responded to the toast of the "Parliaments of the Empire." and delivered an excellent speech, urginunity in effort to Bring about improved trade relations. He advocated the allimportance of Britain and her colonies working to secure a superior position to that of continental rivals, and declared that the outcome of the subsidising of foreign mail steamers was that a lar~e amount of business that formerly came to London was diverted to the continent. The Germans especially were displayingj a remarkable activity in this respect. He said that they were to be admired for this, but. that the Jioliey of England in allowing this to go on in her own commercial territory was a suicidal one. He took the opportunity of explaining the general position of New Zealand, and he recommended the overwrought merchants of London, who from time to time required to reinvigorate in order to enable them to carry out their responsibilities, to take a trip to New Zealand, where they would find a country of free institutions, of free Britons—descendants of the people in the Old Land, who were adding to its greatness, and helping to bring about a concrete, powerful and vigorous Empire. Sir Joseph Ward spoke for 20 minutes, and was loudly cheered at the conclusion, so much so, that to enable the business to proceed he had to rise a second time, after some minutes of unusually demonstrative approval. The N«w Zealand Premier was one of the speakers at the dinner given on Friday evening to the Colonial Premiers by the National Liberal Club. He dwelt upon the question of oversea travel, and asked if he might suggest to the Prime Minister of England and his coadjutors that they could do something nonparty, but of powerful use. to the outlying portions of the Empire. They could, by co-operating with India, Canada, Aus- ! tralia, South Africa, and New Zealand, 1 assist them in the development of speedier steam service between the old j lands and the newer ones; and by similar co-operation they could break down the present enormous cable charges. (Hear, hear.) He would like to be able to congratulate them upon their nest birthday at sixpence a word. He looked forward to splendid results from the Conference. They had not come from thousands of miles away for the purpose of merely affirming resolutions, but, among other things, of seeing the responsible men with" whom they had to work. That was aa.valuable as the resolutions, because, after all, the resolutions they carried would require to be affirmed by their Parliaments. In the southern seas, which he specially represented, they recognised that they would be able to do something to build up that glorious self-government which conferred upon them an advantage they would not in any circumstances sacrifice for the most powerful Ministry England had ever seen —the right to govern themselves for themselves as they thought proper, which they conceded to the great Motherland, and which they were proud to know that the latter conceded to them as fully and as freely.