SPEECH BY THE PREMIER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13086, 27 January 1906, Page 5

SPEECH BY THE PREMIER.

THE IMPERIAL CONFERENCE.

SHIPPING FREIGHTS.

POSSIBILITY OF STATE-OWNED

STEAMERS.

[BY TELEGRAPH. PRESS ASSOCIATION.]

Pahiatpa, Friday On the occasion of the social tendered to Mr. Ross, member for Pahiatual, to-night, the Premier referred to the subject of the Imperial Conference, which was to have been held this year. At the last Conference of Prime Ministers it was decided that conferences should be held at intervals of not more than 'our years, and not less than three years. A memorandum was received from Mr. Lyttelton, the late Secretary of State for the Colonies, asking for the views of the Premiers on this matter, and the replies of Mr. Deakin, the .Fedem,! Prime Minister, and himself were to the effect that they were quite, willing to attend a conference, but stating that it was desirable to hold the Conference early in the year. Mr. Lyttelton then suggested that, in view of the dissolution of the Imperial Parliament, the Conference should be postponed. The election of the new Government at Home hid since rendered the postponement- 01 the Conference necessary. Mr. Seddon received a communication from Mr. Deakin in December, to the effect that there was no objection to the postponement, and, accordingly, at a meeting of the Cabinet in Wellington yesterday, it was decided that New Zealand also hud no objection to the postponement of the Conference. Although this decision was not in accord with the decision of the previous Conference, it was in the interests of the colonies and the Mother Country. The outcome of these conferences would, he believed, be the formation of an Imperial Council, which would be in touch with the people, and add to the strength of the •Empire. Many difficulties and dangers would be removed by the formation of such a council.

Referring to the proposed Labour and Industrial Parliament, he said the Government had decided to abandon it, and adversely criticised the action of the employers' associations regarding it. He deeply regretted that these associations refused to meet the labour unions, but the associations had weakened their case, and the moral effect would be that the people would have a much higher opinion of the labour unions, whose case would be strengthened. He deplored the. attitude certain Labour representatives had taken up in asking that their expenses be paid by the Government, but this attitude was no indication of the feeling of the workers generally.

Referring to trade monopolies, the Premier said these were working silently, secretly, and surreptitiously against the interests of the producers of the colony. This was a matter that would engage the attention of Parliament. There was also danger from shipping rings. The people of the colony were under the power of two or three companies, and when a new company entered into competition with these companies it was either driven out or absorbed by them. Freights from New Zealand were 33 per cent, more than from Australia. Rather than allow the country to be under the power of monopolies the State would have to own steamers and take its own freight. (Applause.) He felt sure that farmers would support the Government in seeing that justice was done to the colonies' produce at Home.