EMPIRE'S APPIAN WAYS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13482, 8 May 1907, Page 7

EMPIRE'S APPIAN WAYS.

SIR JOSEPH WARD'S PROPOSALS, IMPRESS THE GOVERNMENT THEIR ADOPTION PROBABLE. By Telegraph.— Association.—Copyright. London*, May 7. v At the banquet given by the Hon." Lloyd George, President of the Board of Trade, to the members of the Navigation Conference, at the Savoy ■ Hotel, on Friday night last, Sir Joseph Ward, in the course .of his speech, referring to, (several important matters that he had already brougnt up at the Colonial Conference, said he ; would take the opportunity to mention these because they were of such great importance to the British Government, the Governments of the self-governing colonies, ; and the peoples of the British Empire. '

.He believed that all wanted to assist in bringing into closer touch the peoples of the Old Land and of the new, and one practical way of doing so was the improving of the means of communication between the Old World and the outlying portions of the Empire. He ' had had a firm belief before coming to England that faster passenger and mail services between England, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, would be one way of bringing the countries into closer touch. He had stated that it was quite possible of accomplishment, and that a service could be established bringing New Zealand within 20 days of London. They were men anxious to improve the trade of the Empire, and increase it, and here was the opportunity of doing so, by bringing the people of the remoter parts of the Empire and of England into connection within a limited time. If they could get the people of Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand to 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, as quicker communication subsequently would bring a great development of trade between England and the self-governing colonies. . SUEZ CANAL DUES. He would take an: opportunity again of' advocating cheap transit charges;on -ships trading between -New- Zealand and Aus- ■ tralia and England, via the Suez, Canal, by representations to the Board of Control in favour of the reduction of 'fillips' dues through the canal. He had already referred to what: he had termed the toll system at sea, and if tliey were : : wise * men, they would .see that they could use the 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 than the present.one. The ~ rates by the Suez . Canal how were almost prohibitive for the class of goods forwarded by tramp: steamers to go that way. Something, in his opinion should be done to improve the trade coming in that direction. The business now done between England; Australia, and New Zealand was considerable, but in the future it would be greater. CABLE RATES. Referring to cable communication he said these great 1 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 the shareholders by ! reducing dividends they were receiving now,, but they could work in the direction of seeing that they did not suffer respect to the amount payable to them. It should be possible to so reduce rates that cables could, be sent for 6d or Is a word, and. it. would be recognised what a-boon '"would 'both to business, social, and domestic life, as well as: being, invaluable in bringing all portions; of the- great Mmpire closer and closer together. MR. LLOYD GEORGE'S REPLY. .GOVERNMENT MAY LEND ASSISTANCE. In the course of his reply; Mr. Lloyd George - said .the results 'of ' the; Conference just ; finished must -be considered in many respects as being of first-class importance to British trade. ;' The Conference .itself was largely ' a new,- departure, but he; believed its success would justify a repetition. One good thing.had-; resulted: :it had 1 enabled them to meet face to face instead of talking thousands; of miles away, and thus they had been able .to clear \, up many misunderstandings. Talking across the seas they were liable to imagine difficulties and to allow suspicion to take the place of face-to-face knowledge of each other's - true position, but. when; they sat around one table on many things they were apprehensive about they ;f mind'they had no ground for fear at all. ' ■■~.■-., ' -:■■> Proceeding, he said was perfectly, true that New Zealand and Australia had the right— this the Imperial authorities conceded—before imposing, any general shipping conditions; to have regard to their own coastal trade, but he would ask again, although he had received an assurance that this would not be done, that the local regulations in their severity should not be made to apply disadvantageously to, British ships. The shipping' of the: Old :World had to contend against foreign .competition, which was growing daily. . Although glad to say that Great Britain was still holding her.' own, they would much like their kinsmen in the Southern Seas to help and nob hinder them. Sir Joseph Ward had raised matters of the first-class moment.

In the course of Ids speech Sir Joseph Ward had referred to two or three questions brought before the Imperial Confer-: ence tire other day in an extraordinarily, able speech, which he could ; say with knowledge had impressed itself very strongly upon the Imperial delegates and the Imperial Government. • Sir Joseph Ward had put before them certain suggestions which the Imperial Government, he might indicate, were giving the best consideration at that moment, and' it was more than probable something would be said at the Conference on .Monday in regard to them. He had no right to anticipate what the result would be, but Sir Joseph Ward had raised three very practical sug- ! gestions, -.and these were how being J debated, and he hoped; to be able to; give a l satisfactory answer before the.; colonial : Premiers. left the city. \'{ It must be ;,, said that in regard to certain ;. questions the point of view, of the; present Government might be different from that of New Zealand and Australia. The views of the colonies could not .be given effect to on those subjects owing to political exigencies,- but they could recognise that other things might be done to assist in bringing the colonies :closer to England. He considered the suggestions of Sir Joseph Ward worthy of practical consideration. As to the Imperial communications, he was of opinion that it was a purely business proposal, and what they had to consider was what ./was the best thing to do in '• the interests of Great Britain as well as the Empire as a whole, and upon that condition alone ? he agreed with Sir Joseph Ward that it was of the greatest importance that the portions of the Empire scattered thousands of miles from each

1 SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSI otter. should be given shortened con-muni-cstion. The first thing the Romans did wan to make raid Our roads ate mots the seas, and what Kir Joseph Ward sug- ■ (tests is that our Appkn way* should he improved to shorten the time between her* ; and New Zealand. It takes six week.* now, and the suggestion of Sir Joseph Ward, fortified subsequently by Sir Wilfrid Lauricr, is that it can bo done in three weeks. This matter was of great importance, and it did not depend on political problems, such a* fiscal policy.

.-■Then; there was a suggestion" in respect to the Suez Canal due*. This was ah important matter, and he did not see why th* Imperial Government could not assist, with the object of reducing ra£«, and thus lightening the harden of ship* trading between. 'Australia' and New Zealand and the Mother Country. These subjects were being considered, and he would be surprised if something were not done to meet the proposals-. Sir Joseph Wurd was sure that if instead; of discussing purely debatable matters between the colonics and the Mother .'Country, as had been done in real earnest round the table,- they carefully considered such suggestions aa ho had made, with a view to arriving at a decision, he was satisfied they would not separate without something tangible being done to bring the distant parts of the Empire closer to the Homeland, and thus ; make a more united Empire. One way of doing. so wa« the improving of the trade between the various parts of the Empire by quicker lines of communication. .These- things, h« said, were ; being , considered, , and ... he could affirm the Government was considering them with some practical purpose in view. . ".■• ';';';"■ - ■' ' '

* At- the conclusion of his address, Mr. Lloyd George referred in flattering terms to".Mr. Mills, one of tlie New Zealand delegates to tho Navigation Conference, and said ho was the principal of tho greatest lino of steamers in the Southern 'Seas, a service favourably > known i throughout ; ; ho world. It, had been a great. pleasure to himself, as well as to the other Imperial delegates, to meet that gentleman for tho first time. His experience in shipping matters had been of incalcu'able service, and "he had impressed them all with tho knowledge ho possessed of the subjects under review.: In the deliberations of tho conference, indeed, Mr.;.: Mills' remarks had been given in a manner which did him honour, and it was difficult for the representative ol British seamen {Mr. Wilson, M ; .P.) to know whether he (Mr. Mills) was really a shipowner or a seaman's representative, in view of the impartial and unbiassed views he had expressed as to what was good for the shipping world. 'The good .work done by Mr. Belcher and Mr. -Hislop was . favourably commented on, r and ihe personally thanked them for the able manner, in which they also had dealt with the subjects . brought before the Conference. CHEAP CABLE KATES. MR. CHAPMAN'S OPINION. , Meuiouhne, May 7. The suggestion made by Sir Joseph Ward at the Colonial Institute dinner in London that some means should bo devised by the British and Colonial Governments to secure the reduction of the cable rates between Australasia and England to Is, or even 6d, - a word, receives sympathetic support from' the Australian, Postmaster-General, Mr. Chapman. "We had a proposal before us■";■■.':.% some time ago in connection with this.mat* ter," said Mr, Chapman, to an interviewer. "A suggestion on the same lines was made by Senator S. Smith in tho Senate. The difficulty with the Pacific cable is that they have no cable from Canada to England. . When messages reach Canada they have to be sent to England' on lines owned by private people. It would be very difficult to bring the Atlantic cable companies into line. However, lam strongly sympathetic, for I think it would be a good thing for Australia and for the Empire to reduce the cable charges. Sir Joseph Ward and I discussed the thing before. 1 am going to look into the matter again, and may have something to say at a later stage." He is now: making an investigation, ''.the cable rates, with a view to asecE* taining the possible effect . of a reduction. Personally he would like Sir Joseph Ward'« suggestion that they should come down to Is a word to be realised,/ but inquiries had convinced him that so heavy a decrees* was impracticable. He eaw no reason, on the other hand, why a reduction should not" bo made to. 2s or 2s 6d if tho other partners in the Pacific cable and the-owners of:, the Canadian land line and the company would agree. Ho had lately been considering a.proposal for the transmitting , ; of free press cable news. Tho idea struck him ax commendable, but it would be necessary to secure the co-operation of the other parties to the service before it could bo adopted.. Another difficulty would be losi on terminal charges, from which a sui* stantial ' revenue was now derived.