EMPIRE MISSIONARIES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15518, 28 January 1914, Page 9

EMPIRE MISSIONARIES.

REPORT ON AUSTRALIA.

TWO URGENT QUESTIONS.

DISTRIBUTING SETTLERS.

ANTIQUATED SYSTEM.

MALTESE AS EMIGRANT.

MAIL SERVICE SUBSIDIES.

"CABLE RATES TOO HIGH."

By Telegraph.—Press Association— Copyright. (Received January 27. 10.35 p.m.) ( London, January 27. < The report of the Empire Trade Commission states that the most ( urgent problem in Australia concerns the better distribution of population and improved oversea communications. At present, the Dominions are spending a great deal with doubtful success in the attempts to secure agricultural workers. It is, therefore, natural to suggest that some portions of the expenditure could be more profitably devoted to bearing with the Mother Country a share in the cost of some system of Government farms for testing and training in the United Kingdom. This scheme would be easier if emigration were placed under general control. Youths With Adaptability. Australasia .mainly requires youths with adaptability. This requirement could be met equally from the towns as from the country if suitable training were provided. Although Australasia needs more domestics, the commission is unable to endorse the view that a suitable surplus exists in the United Kingdom. Family migration is open to serious objection under the present arrangements, which are susceptible of improvement. The system under which the emigrants are recruited is antiquated and defective. The arrangements in Australasia for the reception of women need attention and development. Filling Tropical Australia. More emigrants are needed to fill tropical and subtropical Australia, foj which Malta seems to be a suitable recruiting-ground. It would be. advantageous to divert ,to Australasia some part of the present Irish migrationEmigrant ships should provide adequate privacy and segregation for single women, and should increase the hospital - accommodation. ..Larger Empire- harbours are urgent to meet the future requirements of inter-Imperial trade. First-class harbours should have a working depth of at least 40ft. Inadequate Postal Service. The commission regrets it is unable to take a favourable view of the oversea postal facilities enjoyed by Australia. The postal service there is inadequate. The existing speed of the mail services does not justify the large subsidies. If an enhanced speed is not obtainable at a reasonable cost, the commission would prefer to sec the mails carried at statutory rates, and the money so saved devoted to improving Imperial communications in other directions. The new routes Australia is opening up are, therefore, unjustifiable, and bind the State to subsidise the Suez service beyond a brief period. The termination of the P. and O. Company's contract renders the time opportune to re-examine the problem on broad Imperial lines. "Cable Rates Too High." Australian cable rates are too high, restricting the use of the cable to commercial classes, and checking free intercourse with the Motherland. The cables' work is far below the maximum capacity. Certain modifications by deferred messages and week-end cables should be made immediately. . Daily cable letters should be introduced and minimum week-end cables should be reduced to 12 words at silence a word. The British office is favourably disposed. Freight Discrimination. The commission found there was freight discrimination against British shippers, whereby certain British shipowners transport foods from the Continent to New Zealand at lower rates than from British ports. It was thoroughly unsatisfactory to run directly counter to the patriotic and Imperial intentions of the New Zealand Legislature. This acts detrimentally to British trade. No adequate defence was made, though repeated opportunities were given. Further scientific investigation ' arising from the water supply of Australia was an important question. i Bulk Handling of Wheat. The substitution of bulk handling of wheat instead of bagging was worthy of examination. Further ' co-ordination of statistical methods to secure uniformity was urgently desirable.

The commission recommends an Empire conference of statisticians. The preferential advantages granted to British goods were prejudiced to some extent by the fact that each Dominion required a different form of certificate of originThe commission urges uniformity. It is gratified with the cotton growing experiments in Queensland, the improvement of Port Phillip and the confining of loan issues to definite remunerative purposes.