THE FALKPAND ISLANDS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2650, 28 December 1904, Page 12

THE FALKPAND ISLANDS.

DEPUTATION TO THE PREMIER. (Fbom Otjr Own Correspondent.)

CHRISTOHUUCH, December 22. A deputation met the Premier at Christchurch on Wednesday in respect to the facilitation of trade with the Falkland Islands, and establishing a fortified coaling station for the traders. The deputation comprised Messrs A. E. G. Rhodes, the Hon. C. C. Bowen, M.L.C., Mr J. Mills (U.S.S. Company), Mr H. P. Murray-Aynsley (N.Z. Shipping Company), and l Mr F. A. Archer (Shaw, Savill, and Albion Company). Mr A. E. G. Rhodes, who introduced the , deputation, stated that Mr Mills, manager of the Union Steam Ship Compans^, had received a letter from Mr W. £1. Allardyce, Governor of tho Falkland Islands, asking if it would be possible to get the steam&rs trading from New Zealand to call at the Islands. At present, Mr Rhodes continued, there was absolutely no British coaling fetation on the- Cap-s Horn, route, although a large proportion of the colony's traffic wsnfc that way Home. At present they were absolutely at the mercy of any foreign Power. There were no iortificatiens at the Falklands, aud what the deputation wished to ask of 'he Premier was if the Government could see its way to do anything in the matter. If the canal should ever happen to be shut for any reason, the Australian trade would also have to go round the Horn. As it was there were now some 40 steamers which went that way Home. The deputation would like the Premier to consider the question, and to ask him if he thought it advisable to open up communication with the British Government upon the subject. All the other principal British trade routes had now fortified coaling stations. I The Hon. C. C. Bowen stated that the deputation was not urging any neglect on ] the part of the British Government. Ijhe ! route was a compaxatively new one. Britain, in view of the necessities in war j time, had one by one foritfted her coaling j stations for the protection of her trade, and j he thought it was now time that attention i should be drawn to this station. The only i possible station on the route was at the ; Falklands. r Phe Admiralty already had a. coal depot there, and the Antarctic expedition had been permitted to coal at it, but there was nothing in the nature of fortifications. In case of war it would be- necessary to protect Magellan Straits, and the passage round the Horn. The deputation had therefore approached the Premier with a view to seeing if he thought it advisable to draw the attention of the British Government to the position. All the heavy ti'afßc already went round the Horn with the prevailing wind, and though the steam traffic was new its dimensions were rapidly increasing. The Right Hon. the Premier stated that his attention had already been drawn to the matter, though not quite along the lines represented by the deputation. Ho j had received a letter from Mr W. L. i Allardyce, the Governor of the Falkland 1 j Islands, from which he read the following 1 extract : — "I have the greatest admiration ! for your Imperialism, and foT the very great services , you have rendered to the Empire. In thTs connection I should like to invoke your interest in this outpost of • his- Majesty's- •• dominions. The stoampr? of the New Zealand Shipping Company are, I believe, granted a subsidy by your Government, and I am told that they actually pass our door every month, although they have only been induced to call hero on one or two occasions, when a considerable number of rams 11 ere hnpoi-rcd for improving the Falkland flocks. The want ot communication with th.3 reft of the Empire is very badly felt in this small colony, with only a mail service once a month to England, and without telegraphic communication with the outlying world, and yet tho importance from a strategic point of \ lew is considerable. It is the only British soil in any way adjacent to the groat Bouth American Rppublics, and it is on the high road for all the New Zealand and Australian trade going round ihc Horn. I may mention, incidentally, that a certain number of ex-colonists from New Zealand and the C'omir.onv. have settled here, and are doing well. Should the steamers cf the New Zealand &hij>pin;g Company call here on their Homeward voyage — they rotum, of •cGux-t?, to New Zealand ■ua the Cape of Good Hope — I have no doubt that arrangements could be made for thfir bringing iiour. timber, cereals, potatoes, etc. to >Sranh>y. and possibly a.l*o co?l, tha loral j.rio? of which is £3 a ton. In re'u'ii for carrvng mails v.-c e hoi'lih of eour-e snbirct to the approval of the Socieiaiy of State.

give fehem a fre© port, a.ad have the Home | mail ready for them within two hours of their arrival. But the finances of the colony, I regret to say, preclude -any possibility of j a subsidy at present. Should you see your • way to influence the New Zealand Shipping Company to docidie upon making Stanley a port of call, you will have +.he satisfaction j of having wslded one rnor© link in the chain, j I oi Empire, and having a<lded another to tfes i many valuable services you ha~pe already i rendered for the maintena,noe and consolidaj tion of our Empire." The Premier, oontinuI in or, said he ha 9 since made inquiries with I rcferon-oe to the position, and from th.& mii formation at his disposal lie found that a j fortified coaling station at the Falkland^ j would not be of much ii£O to the mercantile 1 marine, -which would coal a-t present at Monte j Video. There> was no coal on the ffalfcland Islands except what was taken ihere, and they were used mainly as a refuge for ships which came to grief at Capt Horn. Thrro was already a naval base there, but even I the imported coal supply was vevy limited, i It wa« not well situated, being among the j snow and icebergs, but there was not much I to fear from the attack of any eaenty. The j co=t of fortifying would be very small, j as the place A-as already naturally protected. ] That, at anvrate, v.-as the information he- j had gathered. The suggestion of thp depu- 1 tation was worthy of consideration, and ! he would be only doing his duty in resiorrting their views and otsinions as to something more requiring to be clone in the light of j altered trade conditions. Hp wcild take an early opportunity of sending a memo- \ ranclum upon the subject to his Excellency the Governor, placing the views of tho dpwutation before him, and advisina 1 that they should be sont forward to the Secretary of State with a request that he should make further inquiries as to the necessity for something being done in th-e interest of the ] New Zealand and Australian trade. " Mr Rhodes, in thanking the Premier for \ having received the deputation, said he wished it to be understood that the deputa- j tion did not speak in the interests of any ] 0110 shipping company, but on behalf of all •> the d'recfc liners engaged in the trade re- : f erred to. ;