EMPIRE'S COMMERCE.

Feilding Star, Volume XXIII, Issue 1461, 12 June 1902, Page 2

EMPIRE'S COMMERCE.

Telegraph. Press Association. Copyright Sydney, This Day. Mr Robert Reid, in his presidential address at the Chambers of Commerce Conference, dealing with the question of preferential trade within the Empire, said he hardly thought it fair that we, as an Empire, should go on opening the doorg to all the world while they shut theirs in our face. On the other hand we had beaten all records by the enormous trade we were honored with, our accumulated wealth growing a power which showed no sign of decay, while we should rejoice at the trade done within the Empire. On a differential basis it would be unreasonable to expect the Motherland to do anything to jeopardise her present mercantile supremacy in the world. Touching on the shipping combinations, he declared that if the combinations were to increase and grow nothing -would save us from disaster, but the ownership to a certain extent of large liner steamers which would act as a bridge between Australia to the Northern Hemisphere. Referring to the cables, he said the Eastern Extension Company's introduction of the three million rate was only brought about by the New Zealand Government's decision not to submit any longer to the desirability of an extra charge. If they had not come to terms it would have lost the New Zealand business. It was high time that the merchants of the Empire awakened to the importance of State-owned cables when an increase of traffic would not be followed by enormous rates to the hindrance of commerce and the ultimate destruction of a great commercial Empire. If the Government possesses its own cables it would not be under the thumb of any foreign Power.