Evening Post

Evening Post, Volume LXXXI, Issue 15, 19 January 1911, Page 6

Evening Post

THURSDAY, JANUARY 19, 1911. WHAT PRICE? The first news of the conclusion of a Vancouver mail contract between the Governments of Canada and New Zealand reached the people of this country from an outside source. Mr. Fisher, the Prime .Minister of the Commonwealth, published the fact on Saturday -last that he had received a, cablgram from Ottawa | regretting the refusal of his Government to consent to a New Zealand port of call, j and announcing that Canada and New Zealand had com© to an arrangement on | their own account. This announcement reached New Zealand on Monday last, and was confirmed on the same day by another Sydney message which reported | an interview by wireless telegraphy with j Sir James Mills on the UlimaToa. Since thea cablegrams from Ottawa have thrown some light upon the views of the Canadian Government in the matter. All the parties to the contract and to the negotiations but one have now taken the people of New Zealand into their confidence, and that one is the New Zealand Government. What can, be the motive for this secrecy on the part of those to whom we had the test right to look for information? The mystery business is really being absurdly overdone. The public remains in the dark with regard to the one vital fact — t]ae question of price — until Sir Joseph Wards speaks, and if he cannot make a full statement at once, he might at least explain the reason for his reticence. In the mean--tinie the public will be grateful to Sir James Mills for the additional details which he was good enough to supply upon his return to New Zealand yesterday. The offer of the Union Steam- ShipGompany which the Canadian aad New Zealand Governments have accepted is for a four-weekly service between Auckland and Vancouver, via Suva and Honolulu, at a speed of 15 knots, or 19 days for the whole journey. The last point is not made absolutely clear by Sir Jainea Millse statement. What he actually says is that this rate was provided in the proposal originally submitted for the consideration of the three Governments concerned, but the natural inference is that there was a change in this item after the Commonwealth Government had 'dropped out. A .speed of 15 knots is, in our opinion, quite as fast ac the country should be asked to pay for, and a sight of the bill may, suggest that it is rather too much. Sir James Mills makes it quite clear that the primary objection of the Commonwealth Government to the inclusion of New Zealand was on account of the preferential tariff. While New Zealand enjoyed more favourable tariff arrangements with Canada, the Commonwealth was not prepared to subsidise a line via 'Auckland, to the exclusion of Brisbane and Melbourne. But if the Corninonw«alth secured similar advantages under -the Canadian tariff, Mr. Fisher " would have no objection to the call at Auckland." This looks as though he would be ready to let Brisbane go if the tariff difficulty was adjusted, but it is not • conclusive. The tariff adjustment could easily be effected during the next session of the Commonwealth Parliament, but tie pi sition of Brisbane is a geographical fact which cannot be legislated away. Mr. Josiah Thomas, the Federal Postmaster-General, now promises that Brisbane's claims will not be overlooked in his negotiations for a new CanadianAustralian service, and Mr. Fisher hints that a service between Sydney and San Francisco might be an advantageous substitute for the Vancouver service. It is very questionable, he says, whether more important interests would not be served ia this way than by the Vancouver line. This language surely represents pique and "bluff" rather than sober statesmanship. Mr. Fisher saw no objection to the Vancouver contract until this trouble arose, and his present embarrassment wiH prove a blessing in disguise if it enables him to arrange fot a fiscal reciprocity with Canada which must greatly increase the present volume of trade between the two countries. It J6, we are pleased to see, a term of the new contract that the Union Company may be required to continue the journey to Sydney, or »yen Melbourne, if the Commonwealth Government desires to become a party to the contract. And Sir James Mills states that the company regards the Australian trade as of sufficient importance to justify the sending of the steamers to Sydney while negotiations are still pending. We hope that the interview between Sir Joneph Ward and Mr. W. M.' Hughes will clear the way to an understanding which will put. the matter on a permanent and satisfactory footing. ,