THE MANIA FOR PUBLICITY.

Manawatu Times, Volume LXIV, Issue 106, 8 May 1907, Page 5

THE MANIA FOR PUBLICITY.

Cabled at Cost of the People.

Re-Hash of Conference.

Sir Joseph Addresses the Electors.

(Press Association.)

Wellington, May 7,

The following cablegram has been handed to the Press Association by the Government: —

London, May 7,

At the banquet given by Hon. LloydGeorge, President of the Board of Trade, to members of the Navigation Conference, at the Savoy Hotel, on Friday night last, Sir Joseph Ward, in the course cf his speech, said, referring to several important matters that he had already brought up at the Colonial Conference, he would take the opportunity of mentioning these because they were of such great importance to the British Government, the Governments of the selfgoverning colonies, and the peoples of the British Empire. He believed that all wanted to assist in bringing into closer touch the people of the Old Land and the New, and one practical way of doing so was improving the means of communication between the Old World and the outlying portions of the Empire. He had a firm belief before coming to England that a faster passenger mail service between England, Canada, Australia, ana New Zealand was one way of bringing the countries into closer touch. That, he st-ited, was quite a possible accomplishment. A service could be established to bring New Zealand within twenty days of London. They were men anxious to improve the trade of the Empire and increase it. Here was an opportunity of doing so and bring people in the remoter parts of the Empire closer to England within a limited time if they could get population. Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand recognise the great possibilities that lay in a quicker service between each country. It would be the most valuable thing that had ever been done, and quicker communication would subsequently bring great development of the trade of England and the self-governing colonies. He would take tl;e opportunity of again advocating cheap transit charges on ships trading to New Zealand and Australia from England by representation on the Board of Control of Suez Canal. As a natural outcome of this would bo reduction of ships' duos through the canal. He had already referred to what he termed the toli system of the sea, and if wise men they would use tramp steamers to enable the people of Australia, New Zealand, and England to have their perishable goods, even though frozen, carried by a shorter route that at present, because the rates of the Suez Canal are almost prohibitive for the class of goods forwarded by tramp steamers coming that way. Something, in his opinion, should be done to improve trade coming in that direction. The business now done between England, Australia, and New Zealand was considerable but in future it would be greater, deferring to cable communication, he said these great countries would find it would be invaluable to trade if the present high rates were reduced. He did not desire to do anything to hurt shareholders by reducing the dividends they were receiving now, but they could work in that direction, seeing that they did not suffer in respect to the amount payable to them. It should be possible to so reduce rates that cables could be sent for sixpence or a shilling a word, and it would be recognised what a boon this would be to both business and social and domestic life, as well as invaluable in bringing all portions of the great Empire closer and closer together.