THE ALL RED ROUTE

Evening Star, Issue 14035, 16 April 1909, Page 6

THE ALL RED ROUTE

AX AUSTRALIAN VIEW. Press AssDcktiou—By Telegraph—Copyright. ME' BOURNE, April 16. (Received April 16. at 9.40 a.m.) The Postmaster-General (Mr J. Thomas), referring to Canada's suggestion for an All-Red route conference, declared that, as far as he was concerned, the vessels must be Government owned. The Government realised that the work of binding the various parts of the Empire together more closely can be done properly and adequately only by the Government themselves. He favored something being done in the way of Preferential Trade relations between Canada and Australia. MR MILLAR'S COMMENT. MEANS AUSTRALIA STANDS OUT. AUCKLAND, April 16. The Hon. Mr Millar, interviewed regarding the above cablegram, said it simply meant that there was no chance of Australia going into the All-Red service outlined by Canada. This must affect New Zealand considerably, because the amount of the subsidy proposed to be received from Australia will not be forthcoming, and will require to be borne by Great Britain, Canada, and New Zealand, because there is nothing in the proposals as submitted that the steamers .shall be owned by the Government. The Commonwealth has already entered into a mail arrangement, for which six vessels are to be built, and there is little chance of the Government taking part in the construction of an All-Red eer° vice.