RETURN OF SIR JOSEPH WARD.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 12 June 1907, Page 2

RETURN OF SIR JOSEPH WARD.

AN INTERVIEW. j THE IMPERIAL. CONFERENCE 1 AND OTHER DOINGS. ] [United Pbess Association. — Copx- ' BIGHT.] FREMANTLE, Tuesday. Sir J. G., Lady, and Miss Ward are passengers by the Mooltan, and are all well. BThe Acting-Premier and the Aide-de-camp of the Governor boarded the s.s. Mooltan and extended a welcome to the party, who are the guests of the Government during their stay. PERTH, Wednesday. Interviewed this morning on his return from London, Sir J. G. Ward, F-.-eniier of New Zealand, was asked to state his opinion on the general results of both the imperial Conference and the Maritime Conference. He stated that in his opinion both Conferences had justified the calling together of representatives of the self-governing colonies. In respect to the Maritime Conference, Sir J. Wa»:-d said the results affected the Commonwealth more than New Zealand, for the reason that his country already had a Shipping and Seamen's Act "upon the Statute Book that provided for nearly all matters that were dealt with by the Conference. Some points of general application, however, were dealt with which were of material interest to New Zealand. The protection of local shipowners, as well as officer's and seamen, from unfair competition abroad ; together with the assimilation of various rules of practice where it was possible to give effect to them, were most valuable. He intended to ask the New Zealand Parliament to legislate in accordance with the resolution carried at the Conference in places where legislation was necessary. It would, in his opinion, have been a good thing had the Mr..itime Conference met ten years ago, for then representative of England and the colonies might have devised common grounds of action and so prevented mauy difficulties tliat hava subsequently arisen. One great good resulting from the Conference folJows from the fact that shipping interests in the United Kingdom and the colonies were brought face to face, round a common table, where personal discussion, and a frank interchange of opinion did so much to clear and remove misunderstandings that must inevitably exist where everything was left to correspondence and despatches. The success of the Conference was in no small measure due to the tact and ability displayed by Mr Lloyd George, President of the Board of Trade; where so many conflicting interests were concerned the risk of friction was great, and that this did not occr|.was due not. only to the reasonable attitude of the delegates but equally to the courtesy and judgment of the. president. While naturally and properly alive to his enormous responsibilities as the official head of the world-wide shipping trade of the United Kingdom, he. showed an evident d.esire to meet the views of the Commonwealth and New Zealand wherever he possibly could. In reference to the Imperial Conference, Sir Joseph said here the difficulties presenting themselves were in some respects very great indeed. It was the first real business Conference of representative men form the oversea dominions that had taken place in England. .The former Conferences had done good work, but that work was entirely of a preliminary character. Practical issues were first dealt with at this Conference. He would have liked to have seen Preferential Trade agreed to by the British representatives. He could not shut his eyes, however, lo the position of the British Government, who were returned with a record majority pledged, among other things, to a continuance of Freetrade. In common with other members of the Conference he (Sir J. Ward) had p.-essed the point that preference was quite distinct from free trade, and could be given effect to without violating th). principles of that doctrine. The British Government, however, was not prepared to accept this view, hence the most that could be said was that a good deal was done in the way of educating public opinion upon that point. A most important step was ' taken in the establishing of the Conference as a permanent institution, with the Prime Minister of Great If -itain as tlila standing '• president. The actual constitution' of the Conference, its functions, and machinery for doing its work, were left to be settled at a future meeting, and this, in his opinion, was a very wise step. Meantime, tho machinery would, be worked by the Colonial Office. Continuing, Sir J. G. Ward said that the discussions that took place in connection with the military and naval 1 defences of the Empire, particularly in '. relation to the colonies, >was of the f/eatest importance. In respect to ' naval defence the views of the Com- 1 monwealth differed from those of New Zealand, and he naturally expressed no . opinion as to the course pursued by ' the Commonwealth, as it was a matter . entirely for them to decide upon. New Zealand preferred to continue the existing system under which the whole na- ' val defence is conducted and controll- ' ed by the Admiralty, New Zealand contributing upon a money basis. He had explained at the Conference that j they had yet for many ye-rcs the development of theh- country to provide ! fur, and the obligations this entail- ' erl were as much as the colony was \ justified in undertaking. He hoped, however, that the course the Common- "j wealth proposed to tnke'would turn out ' to be one of great success to them. Sir J. G. Ward further expressed c satisfaction that his suggestions in fa- '' vonr of the cheapening of postal and _ cable rates and the quickening of the mail communication, toe|-th<l. with } the establishment of commercial dele- ; gales representing the British Government in British colonies, were well received both by tho representatives in r Conference and by the British Qpvern- J ment, and he hoped that practical re- ! suits would follow. ' Sir J. G. Ward, in "reply to an in- ' quiry as to the attitude of the Bri- ) tish Government at the Conference, ex- r pressed himself in hieh terms of appreciation of the courtesy and considera- ' tion extended to all the delegates by * Lord Elgin, who most capably presid- 1 cd. Asked as to his impressions of Lon- *' don. he said, that the hospitality and ? kindness that he and his party receiv- '' ed from all sections of the British people from tho day of his arrival would -i never be forgotten by them. The ' pijassure of work daily, outside the Conference itself, had given him an exceedingly busy time, but he was Returning to New Zealand with delightful remembrances of his visit. These were enhanced by the fact that a great link in the chain of Imperial brotherhood had been strengthened throughout the memcc-able Conference of 1907. To-day's Cables. MORE OF SIR JOSEPH'S VIEWS. *; — —. G THE FAST STEAM SERVICE. £ CANADA'S ADVERTISING "PUSH- v FULNESS." * s< o (Received 8.45 a.m.) PERTH, Wednesday. Sir Joseph Ward says : "It is un- T deniable that there is great want of knowledge concerning the position of self-governing dominions and the development that is taking place in them. I must say that Canada, to some extent, should be excepted:', for the reason that she has made advertising an art. She advertises wherever her representatives are to be found, and she makes a r6 display of what Canada has to offer in d e the way of land, attractions, and em- e h ployment for workers in a manner which is extremely successful. For instance, I visited the Dublin Exhibition, where Canada had a separate _ourt, which was fitted up in such a way that visitors had before them a realistic presentation of wheat fields [ md dairying land, with cattle grazing jn the frlrms. As the outcome of

Canada's 'pushfulness' I saw three or I four steamers laden with human freight leave England and Scotland for Canada. The Dominion is butter known in England than any other ofths self-govei'iii,'< u.lnnies. Its com-' parative nearness to England !& also a factor in keeping it before the eyes of British people, although I must, in justice to our '.epresentatives, say they ! spare no pains to keep their countries also before the public. Yet our expenditure in advertising is very small" indeed compared with that of Canada. "The British people fear that preference will raise the price of conimr_d.tie; to the consume.', but in my op. : ').:i \'\. rivalry between the eclonies fot tinHome market would keep prices at a fair level. One difiiculty iv the way of preference is the belief that Canada, Australia, and New Zealand could not supply sufficient whsat t.. take the place of that at preseirt imported into Great Britain from Russia, America, and otlier countries. But I believe that Canada and Australia alone in a short time, if they had the certainty of a market, could more than supply '.epuirements. However, under the circumstances, it was impossible to carry our preferential proposals at the recent Conference, but we can hope for better things from the next. "With reference to the mail subsidy, I advocated an improved AtlanticPacific service across Canada to New Zealand and Australia. My view was that we should ainS at a twenty days service between New Zealand and Loudon, four days across the Atlantic, four days across Canada, and twelve days across the Pacific to New Zealand. It" is quite the common thing for a steamer to travel between London aiid America at 21 or 22 knots. I hold that the same speed could vhe maintained between Vancouver and New Zealand and Australia, provided, the countries concerned were prepared to pay a subsidy large enough to induce owners of the class of steamer mentioned to take up the tcade. It would necessitate a subsidy of about £400,000 a year. Although this is a larfee sum, it " could be borne if divided proportionately between the countries concerned." Asked whether such a service would not interfere with the Suez Canal service, Sir Joseph replied ; — My opinion is that it would, not. The service I advocate would cause an increase of t/vaffic. Wherever great steamer facilities for passenger traffic had been provided they resulted in such an enormous increase in trade that instead of injuring existing lines they have caused the establishment of additional lines to cope with the traffic. This has been experienced iv the Atlantic trade, whero of course there is a large population at the end cf the line. We in Australia must look forward to a large increase 'of population in the years to come,- and by establishing the most up.- to-date passenger service we would bfe doing much to attract immigrants to our shc.-es. So far as New Zealand is concerned, we will leave nothing undone to establish such a service. At both the Imperial and Navigation Conferences I advocated the reduction of Suez Canal dues. The present high rates handicapped the development of colonial trade, causing the bulk of the imports and exports to be carried round the Cape. "It seems to me," continued Sir Joseph, "monstrous that the rates should be so high that ordinary cargo steamers are almost prohibited from using the Canal. It is possible, in view of the speeches by the Australian representatives, lhat some alteration I will be made in the near future."