THE PIONEER PORT.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 14099, 19 July 1911, Page 5

THE PIONEER PORT.

BRISTOL WELCOMES DOMINION

PRB3UJERS.

(from our own correspondent.) LONDON, Juno 9. Though the Prime Minister of New Zealand has already been far somo years a freeman of tho city of Bristol —the city to which, its citizens boast, tho British Empire owes its being—ho w «s this week the leading figure in a round of ceremonies in entertainment Oi the oversea statesmen. ' Sir Joseph' Ward was mado a freeman of the city at the Imperial Conference of lyof. General Botha was also presented with tho freedom then, hut urgent business and his state of j health prevented him from paying the nocessary visit to the Western city to sign the roll, so he had to complete the process this week. He and the New Zealand party (Sir Joseph was accompanied by Ln'dy Ward, Miss Ward and Mr J. Hislop) went down from town on Tuesday mctruing; and the party was completed by tho arrival later in the day of the Prime -Ministers of Australia and Newfoundland, who had been visiting the Potteries. SPEAKING IN TILE STREETS. The giving of street speeches was no" part of the programme, but the crowd "which gathered round the carriages ayS they passed through to tho Council Houso, was insistent, and the Lord Mayor, therefore, asked Sir Jceeph and General Botha to address them. Tho speeches wero entirely of a felicitous nature, the Boer general being particularly happy in his contrast of tho present position with tho ti,me when he did all in his powea- to prevent Englishmen crowding round him in such a pressing manner. Bristol has not offered its freedom to many, and General Botha was interested to find ajnongst the select few, hia old antagonist, Lord Roberta, who was honoured in 1893. The afternoon at Bristol was spent in an inspection of the new docks at Avonmouth, and in the evening tho ladies were at a private dinnec party, while the Premiers were feasting in civic state as the guests of tho Chamber of Commerce. In tiie decorative design the New Zealand arms—whatever they may be —wero given the plaoo of honour, and New Zealand views and flowers were gracefully interwoven with those of South Africa, Canada and Australia. - Amongst those present was Dr. W. It. Christie, formerly practising modicine at Milton, Otago, hut for many years similarly engaged at Bristol, where he holds public office as a City Councillor.

Tho speeches wero unusually interesting. Sir ]<klward Morris, of course, epoke of tho historic connection of Bristol with the colonies, particularly with his own colony of Newfoundland. Was it nob discovered, by Caliot- and settled by Guy, both Bristol men. Genoral Botha remained true to th© theme of his "whole tour, thankfulness and gratitude to the magnanimity of tho British .people which has enabled South Africa to heal her wounds and start forward with discord huriod.

Sir Joseph Ward, speaking as a freeman of tho city, regretted that the men of the past had not founded the city at the mouth of the river instead of so far inland. Had they done so, it would havo been ono of the greatest seaports in th© United Kingdom. Of the conference he said Utile—merely that it wast useless for them to come fo tho ancient city of London with fresh ideas —perhaps a little feverish pi their dosiro to push ahead beyond the possibility of the moment —unless they left a record of woiJ_ that would tell its tale in the future. Then ho made a practical appeal in favour of closer communication. "I want to ask v-ou gentlemen who are representatives of commerce and associated with shipping, to do all you can to impress upon the Imperial authorities the supreme importance of removing the detectable toll-bar that exists between the Motherland and the oversea Dominions and the- countries in the East in tho shape of extortionate charges levied on every ship, indireotly on every passenger, and upon every ton of cargo, that passes either way through the Suez Canal. (Hear, hear.) The chairman of one British shipping company -states that something like £300,000 is imposed on one line of steamers passing backwards and forwards through tho Canal, a sum about equal to the whole payment to the officers and men on board tliat great organisation. I know your own Government has not tho powor to do what it would like to do in a matter of this kind. Two great nations are the proprietors of the Suez Canal, but is it not time that they should both commenoo to realise that when over one million sterling, so far as on© of the partners alone is , coacferned, is taken frdm the pockets of the peoplo using tha*.-Canal, over and ahovo 3 per cent, on tho amount invested in it, that is an exorbitant and extortionate amount to extract? (Hear, hear.)."

Sir Joseph ventured to predict that when, a few years hence, America opened the Panama Canal, they would not be so foolish as to hamper the development of trade routes across the Pacific by an embargo on trade going through tho Canal. Once trade did shift, if.was not the easiest thing to restore rb to its old routes. He strongly urged the people of Bristol to use their influence to improve such matters as these. ~.,'■ One more reference to the Conference: "While I havo never by ono iota gone from that important point of being allowed to govern ourselves within. our own borders, so as to suit our own requirements, and to hold the power we possess tinder our local autonomy—l say if we go about it in/the right, way we can raise great questions 'of finance and defence, which do not spell party, above parochialism, and place them higher under tho British flag, which is the emblem protecting the whole of us."