EMPIRE TARIFFS AND SHIPPING.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 73, 19 December 1907, Page 7

EMPIRE TARIFFS AND SHIPPING.

AUSTRALIA, CANADA, AND TUG AIX RED SERVICE. A BIG COST TO MEET. PLEA FOR INTER-IMPERIAL GOOD FEELING. Or TELEGRAPH—I'BESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT. (Rec. Dec. IS, 10 p.m.) London, December 18. "The Times" hopes that, in the interests of tho All Red Route, tho Commonwealth's projected negotiations at Ottawa will ho conducted in a sufficiently liberal spirit to remove- any temporary ill-feeling which Mr. Deakin's Tariff policy may have excited in official circles in Canada. Proceeding to discuss the All Red Route, "Tho Times" estimates that the total annual subsidy for some years will bo from £700,000 to £800,000 or more, nearly one, half of which will be Britain's contribution. The paper calculates that the building of tho fleet for the All Red service will cost six millions. This amount cannot ue laiseil at a low rate of interest; without engaging the British Government's credit, according to the precedent set in the caso of the two big Cunarders, Lusitania and Mauretania (which are liable to service in war timo). But all those difficulties aro matters of detail, which will probably bo overcome by 'inter-Imperial goodwill. " The Times " emphasises tho fact that the Imperial Government, which was unable at the Imperial Conference to meet the Colonies on the subject of preference, has pledged Britain to the principle of an All Red Routo, and that abandonment of the scheme can be justified only by proving its impracticability.

PRESENT VANCOUVER LINE. : CANADA'S CRITICISM. SUBSIDY NULLIFIED BY TARIFF WALLS. DT TELEGEAPII—rRESS AB/SOCIATION— COPYKICmT. . .(lice. Dec. 18, 11.-io p.m.) ' London, . December 18. The comments of the Ministerial press at Ottawa confirm the first report that Canada's . failure; to put on the estimates an amount for the subsidy of -the VancouverAustralian service was due to mi intention to retaliate on the Commonwealtli for tho Deakin Government's new tariff. Tho " Toronto Globe" declares that giving a bonus to a steamship lino to Australia, whore the cost of passing tho Customhouse oxceeds the cost of a voyage round the world, is too palpably illogical for Canadian policy. Tho "Globe" adds that it is foolish activity to pay simultaneously to get goods in and to keep them out. ■:'

At the Imperial Conference, after tho Liberal Government had vetoed preference, the proposals for improved mail services and better lnter-Triiperiiil communications—"practical Imperialism," is tho current phrase—were hailed asj. giving more promise of a common ground. Bilt while Mr. Lloyd-George (President of the Board of Trade) affirmed tho principle, lie made certain reservations. He expressed pleasure at the Conference that a proposal had been submitted which the Government could examine without coming inf'6 l c'onfljcf with>dny popular mandate and highly controversial topics like the fiscal question. But even this was-a many-sided problem. While agreeing with tho general '< proposition, questions of route and cost ought to bo dealt with by experts. It might cost an absolutely prohibitive Bum to achieve even tho very desirable object Sir Wilfrid Lauricr foreshadowed.