GERMAN TRADE IN AUSTRALIA.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LVI, Issue LVI, 28 January 1909, Page 5

GERMAN TRADE IN AUSTRALIA.

SUBSIDISING A GERMAN STEAM-

ER LINE.

AUSTRALIA'S POLICY CONDEMNED.

[per press association.]

BERLIN, January 27.

After Herr Bethmann-Hollweg, Minister for the Interior, and Herr Dernburg, Minister for the Colonies, had spoken, the Government Bill subsidising the North. German Lloyd Company's South Sea services was referred to a committee. Most parties supported the subsidy, owing to the British and Japanese competition.

Herr Halm, a member of the Conservative party, remarked that without wishing to say a word against Britain, it was natural Australians should not view German development with, satisfaction, and if the German line were discontinued, the cause would certainly emanate from Australia.

Herr Hormann, a Radical and a member of the people's party, declared that Germany was, comparatively, in a favorable position in regard to Australia, which, in German opinion, was following quite an erroneous and nar-row-minded immigration policy, aiming to exclude the competition of foreign laborers, without whom the development of Australia was impossible. That was a twofold reason why Germans should seize any opportunity of extracting what advantage they could from the situation.

. Her Sernler, a National Liberal, supported the bill on the ground of the influence exercised by British freight charges in respect of the German copra trade.