RETURN OF MR. G. G. STEAD.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 14, 11 October 1907, Page 5

RETURN OF MR. G. G. STEAD.

Imperial Preferential Trade. ' THE ALL-RED ROUTE. SOCIAL LIFE IN ENGLAND. . On Mr. Stead's arrival from London by tho Arawa yesterday morning a representative of The Dominion sought him out with a viow to getting somo information upon a number of subjecta of goneral intorcst. Mr. Stoad, howover, strongly protested against being interviewed, as ho considered interviewing was being ' very much overdone. Moreover, ho added, so. many peoplo go to England now-a-days that there is very littlo that is new to ho said. Howovor, later in tho day, our representative again saw Mr. Stead, and prevailed upon him to say a fewwords for publication. Preferential Trado. The first subject mentioned was prefcrential trado within the Empire. So -far as Mr. Stead could judge, thero is a very strong feeling amongst tho mercantile community in England in favour of proforonco, and the few persons of strong Free Trado proclivities whom ho -mot were mostly Parliamentary men wlio had no practical experience of commerce. Ho was afraid that Mr. Chamberlain's active political days wero ovor, but woro he able to take the lead again on the other side, Sir H. Campbell-Bannerman would bo unlikely to maintain his present position after a general election. "Unquestionably, amongst commercial mon in England, added Mr. Stoad, there is a vory bitter feoling against tho prosent Ministry—and in particular against Mr. Winston Churchill. Tho prevailing opinion is that the present Prime Minister is unpatriotic, and that

his idoas in regard, to disarmament, if put into practice, would' bo suicidal. The prevailing' feeling was neatly put to Mr. Stead by a leading commercial man, who remarked that tho only loyalists in- tho Empiro now aro tho colonists! In the House of Commons. Mr. Stead was present in the Hquso of Commons during the debato upon Sir H. Campbell-Bannorman's motion in regard to tho reformation of tho House of Lords, and listened to tho wholo of tho speeches. Ho was not much impressed with tho Primo Minister's oratory, but considered his speech fairly logical, whilo. Mr. Balfour's speech in reply was a hotter offort from tho oratorical point of view, hut was somewhat lacking in logic. A few nights later at a dinner in ono of tho London clubs, Mr. Stead had a further opportunity of hoaring Mr. Balfour on the same, subject, and, although tho Now Zealandor's leanings woro in favour of an Upper House,'ho was not greatly impressed with Mr. Balfour's defence of it, It-is not/surprising therefore that ho considers tho present Opposition to bo suffering somewhat severely from; Mr. Chamberlain's breakdown in health. Mr. Stead had tho of meeting quite a number of the members of tho British Parliament, not 'only at luncheons and dinners in Bellamy's, but also at private functions,. but he failed -to ascertain that ithere was in tho-political firmameut any rising star capablo of leading the Opposition to victory—at all events, for sometime to como. Foreigners in London. 'Mri Stead is inclined:to think that-] London is changing very, rapidly, in several respects. Ho was particularly struck with .'tho influx■• of ' foreigners. During his last visit ho noticed so many sign-boards with foreign .names on them that ho was impelled to remark to a friend that.if this state of things continued London, in ilio cburso of time, would not belong to'tho English. Of course, .tho- riiajority.'of tho \joint stock ■, companies <■■•■ woro English, but thoro was an undue preponderance of foreign signs on the shops and warehouses. Tho ioroignor.. was ■ becoming moro and moro'in dvid'erico asitho yearsrolled on. . " ■■ '..•■'' Racing. Mr. Stead attended a fair number:of race mcting's, and'.'ho was' moro than over impressed- with. : the fact that horse-racing was conducted in a muchbetter way in the colonies. The only up-to-date course -and ; stands-he saw wore at Newbury. There the stands and general.,conveniences were equal to anything' to "be soon in tho colonies. In nearly ..all the other courses tho convenience of tho publie is scarcely, considered,., by. '. the authorities in ...England. So far as he could gather, thoro were only two classes of people~who-went -to racp : mootings—the- men who wont .to bet and tho women who went, to show off thoir dresses, and themselves. To gO: to a raco-meeting for tho mere pleasure of the sport, as so many did in thecolonies, was an almost unknown thing in England. Thon,the.majority, of tho prizes woro small. Except at Ascot and one or two other'meetings,'tho majority.

of tho races wofo for stakesof only a hundred pounds. Tho result was that many ownors had to endeavour to cover J their stablo expenses by betting. Tho Vancouver Route. Questioned regarding tho Vancouver routo, Mr. Stead- said tho -Vancouver mail routo had great possibilities before it, and ho earnestly hoped that sufficient subsidies would bo forthcoming from tho countries interested to put it on a good footing. • There was, ho added, an impression at. Homo .that tho British Government was pledged to support tho All-Red route. New Zealand would dorivo great bonefit from such a service, as thero was a large and growing population between Vancouver'and Winnipeg that would bo only too glad to get our frozen mutton 1 wore it available. Of course, 'for this trado moderately large-sized steamers would bo necessary. There was a sufficient population within the rango of Vancouver to consumo a moderate-sized cargo onoo a month. In addition, we could send butter and other products that would bo welcomed by ':■ the Canadians. The suggestion that ( the service should •■ bo a very fast one is, ho thinks, scarcely practicable, as for many yours to come tho cost of such a sorvico would, be too groat. In these days, when all important matters of business are»oonducted by' cablo, however, Mr. Stead says tho question of a day or two in tho mail services between Australasia and tho Mother Country is not of the greatest moment. As to tho two routes—San Francisco and Vancouver—ho pointed out that in each case tho vessels call at Honolulu, and as tho distnrico thence to Vancouver is only somo 300 miles greator'. than to San Francisco, tho difference is really less than' one day's steaming, and tho • Canadians say. they can land mails in England via St. John's in; a.day less than they can bo landed .in ;San Francisco.; Under these circumstances' a largo' number of tho mercantile peoplo in England strongly favour tho All-Red Route; and Mr. Stead agrees that they aro right.

The Imperial' Conference. ; • Mr. Stead said that, so far as the British Government was . concerned, thoy adoptod a policy of masterly inactivity in regard to the Imperial Conforonce. Asked as to our Premier's afrtitudo at tlio Conference, ho said that unquestionably Sir Josoph Ward made a most' favourable impression amongst the financial magnates ill Loudon. He undoubtedly made/ his' mark at tlio conference of Promiers. ;