"A DETESTABLE TOLL BAR."

Auckland Star, Volume XLII, Issue 135, 8 June 1911, Page 5

"A DETESTABLE TOLL BAR."

SUEZ CANAL CHARGES. - SIR JOSEPH WARD'S PROTEST. EMPIRE TRADE HAMPERED. (By Cable.—Press Association.—Copyright.) LONDON. June 7. Mr. Fisher, Mr. Botha, and Sir Joseph Ward are visiting Bristol. To-day they inspected the Avonmouth Dock, and were the guests of the Chamber of Commerce at luncheon afterwards. Sir Joseph Ward, responding to tho toast of "The Prime Ministers of the Oversea Dominions,'' dealt with closer union with the Motherland, and the practical work of the Imperial Conference. It was no use assembling, he said, unless they left a record of work, telling its talc in the future. He believed that the present Conference would show a record of work valuable to those attending the next Conference. Proceeding, he said that he wanted to take tho opportunity this time of meeting representatives of commerce and shipping, to ask them to consider how to get rid of the detestable toll bar between Britain and the dominions, in the shape of the extortionate charges on every ton of carco traversing the Suez Canal. Tf it was desired to bring the distant portions of tha Empire closer, they must makp the means of transport as cheap as possible. It had recently been stated that £30,000 was imposed on one line of steamers traversing the ("anal. That sum was equal to the whoje of the payments made for officers and men. Was it not time that Britain and France, as owners of the Suez Canal, began to realise that over £1.000.000 was taken, as far as one partner was concerned, from tbe pockets of those using the (anal, over and above the

dividend of three per cent on capital. ] The charges were extortionate. Their American cousins, who were g-iing to control the Panama Canal, would not make the mistake of putting a large bar against - shipping and the development of trao; across the Pacific. His motion had brought the question before the last Conference, and he heartily endorsed Mr. I-'isber'> efforts in the same, direction at this Conference. It was a matter of exceptional importance in connection with perishable products. , Sir Joseph concluded hy urging the. Motherland to co-operate with Canada, Australia, and New Zealand to secure the completion of the State-owned AllRed cable projected several of which the first link had been successfully laid across the Pacific to Canada. BOTHA'S CONTRAST. FRIENDSHIP FOR EVER. LONDON, June 7. In his speech at the Chamber of Commerce luncheon at Bristol. Mr. Botha contrasted the occasion with the timo when he did his very be.-t to prevent. Englishmen from surrounding him. They were now surrounding him as friends. He was representing a country where English and Dutch had grasped the hands of friendship for ever. Mr. Botha emphasised the far-reaching importance of the Imperial Government's decision to take the dominions into their confidence in relation to external problems. The policy would greatly strengthen the cause of Imperial unity.