COMPETITION PRTZE ESSAYS. '

Otago Witness, Volume 06, Issue 2899, 6 October 1909, Page 65

COMPETITION PRTZE ESSAYS. '

WHAT WILL BE THE PROBABLE EFFECT OF THE OPENING OF THE PANAMA CANAL UPON THIS ; DOMINION? ' ) (Bt Robebt Fergtjsox.) i The , first consideration is. will the route I via Panama shorten the* distance between j "the principa.l places we -trade with ; and, ! if it does, will it be sufficient to materially j lessen the cost of carriage? Because, just i in proportion as it does this .will the canal ; be of any advantage to us. from a commer-. : cial asoect. If it does not, we will doubt- ; less continue to use the present well-known [ routes. According to official returns, during the , last five years the United Kingdom supj plied an average of 60 per cent, of the ' value 'of goods imported into this Dominion, and took 80 per cent- of our exports. Our , principal trade is thus with the United j Kingdom, and i.fe necessarily follows that • consideration must first be given to dis- | tances between here and there. j It is impossible to exactly state the j i mileage, because no steamers 'can go direct, j I They leave various ports, and all have to ! ; make calls at different places for well- i ; known reasons-^-such as trading and coaling, j j — but, approximately, the distance from | j New Zealand to Plymouth, following pre-j-ssnt routes, is- about 11,860 miles. The ; J distance given via Panama, (including ', i various necessary calls) is about 11,460 j j miles. It will thus be seen that the saving is, roughly, 400 miles. But although this ' mileage is saved, there are two counter- : balancing effects.- "Fii-stly, as the canal is ■ to be •constructed on the lock system, it , will take a considerable time to negotiate | I the 40 odd miles; secondly, as the cost , I is estimated at over £70,000.000, interest j will require to be paid on this, and, to- ; ; gelher with the cost of the upkeep, will , necessitate heavy canal dues j | So. taking everything into consideration, j J one fa.ls to see how this canal is to alter ; our present trading relations with our prineii pal customer— namely, the United Kingdom, i Our next best European customer is Gerj many, but we do comparatively little busi- ; -ness with her (average for five years, two • and one-fifth per cent, of our imports and ,' one-quarter per cent, -of our exports), and. j for the same reasons as already adduced, j our trade in this direction is not likely to ; be increased. ) One is driven, then, to consider the mat- j j ter-from the point of hade with the Wes- j I tein world. Our present business with the I j United States is only 10 per cent, of our j \ imports and 3£ per lient. of our exports, i j But is must be remembered that a part of . j this comes from and goes to -the Pacific ■• I aide, which wi'l not be affected by the ' I canal. The official returns for 1908" state ! I that 32 steam vessels entered the Dominion : ' from the East Coast of America, and 14 J ! (with three sailing) from the West Coast. | j Thus \vp see that of the 16 per cent, i trade done, non 7 per cent, is affected by j the canal. (The tonnage gives about the , same results.) Durinp the same period, not I one vessel left here for the East Coast, aJi -though three did so for the West. It is j clear, then, that we do litile or -no direct I trade with the United Statos, and I do not I see how the canal will very much increase \ Ihis either >vay. What trade can be done? t , The States adopt a high protective policy, I ■ and will nor let our croo'js- in. We do j j 'ikcwise, .md with cur preferential tariff ( I blot-k her manufactures, and if the canal | , wore to be ithe means of cheapening the j landed cost to us to the detriment of our I manufacturers, one is pretty safe in predicting- that our Par'iament would- soon raise • | the tariff against ho>\ Under existing con- J ■ ditions, New Zealand can never hope to be j an exporter of manufactured goods: she is too far away frovi largo consum.ng centres, ] and labour laws and labour conditions which I other na.tions haie not to submit to will ■ prevent this. What does the States principI ally take from us : — Kauri gum (215,291), j phorniium (£13,832), sk^ns (£82.368), and [ wool (£11,891) Biio does not want our , frozen mutton, oats wbeat, butter, or j cheese, nor is it easy to conceive how the canal will materially assist to get these. ' or any other commod.ties of ours, into her | territory. Certainly, a few apples (when ', they are done in America) might be ' / shipped for six weeks or two months of : [ the year, but the trade that could be don* |

f here would hardly be worth counting. De- * cidedly, it would not warrant ships trading here, and there mu3t be an assured outward cargo as well as an inward one. Taking a survey of masters as I see USaeta, I fail to see where trade is to come from. Therefore the canal will be ot little or no use i to us so far as trade with the States is | concerned. The same remarks apply to Canada, with this difference : that we give a preference to her goods. But our trade with her is small. Only f per cent, of our imports come from there, and she takes only 1-10 per cent, of our exports. The canal may materially alter this, because a reciprocal tariff, of a sufficiently liberal and extensive nature to encourage trade, may be established between New Zealand and Canada. The shortened distance — I' understand I about 3000 miles — is bound to have some effect if we can get reciprocity. Then this route may make New "Zealand a calling place for boats which may be trading between America and Australia. l But what -about the passenger traffic?* I Perhaps a few more people may be induced i .•to visit our shores (or yice versa) on : account of the- canal shortening the distance : and being able to avoid the coldsr latitudes i of the present routes, but I do' not think i these considerations will cause such • an. j influx or such an, exodus that the shipping ; oon-|panies will be induced to put on faster ; boats. We have only a small population. ! and a comparatively small proportion of. : these are travellers afield, and -the opening | of the canal is not likely to -materially ! increase this proportion, nor are the inj comers likely to be swelled very much. I will next consider the question from a naval aspect. The canal no doubt will ba of -great advantage to the United States in mobilising her fleet and adequately protecting her extensive coast lines. Now, her principal fleet is stationed on the Atlantio side, with comparatively little protection on the Pacific coast, and 1 in case of trouble it necessitates a long- detour round Cape Horn. But the canal will obviate this. | She will then be able to keep fleets on both sides. "The fact of her being enabled to do this will be an advantage to New Zealand. At present Great Britain has what may be termed an unnatural alliance with Japan. It was made, no doubt, for the mutual advantage of both parties, but a white race allying with a yellow one appears incongrv.ous, and the minds s ot the ! greatest authorities in military matters tend in the direction of indicating ,that the two White races, America and Great Britain, should combine. Admiral Sperry. commander' of the American fleet which recently visited our shores,. gaye x voice to this sentiment. In a parting message to New Zealand he said : " The reception accorded to the United States fleet ... , cannot fail to draw , closer the ties of common race and common interests in the • Pacific." This feeling is endorsed by numerous political and military authorities. Whether an actual alliance between these two great nations docs eventuate or not, I do not think any person can doubt that if one of the* .yellow races attempted-- to interfere- with Australia "or* New Zealand our American cousins would be more likely i to assist us than come to the aid of the other side. It may be contended that shewould remain neutral. That, of course, j would depend on various circumstances, ! but I fee! confident in hazarding the opinion j that, if the wovst came to the worst, Great | Britain and the United States would be found fighting together against the yellow fellow. • | The canal will, then, enable the States to have a Pacific squadron. If an alliance should take place between her and Great Britain— and this is certainly within the bounds of probability— this squadron . can hclx,, to polios the Pacific, to the advantage of all the British possessions in that vast ocean, and the very fact of an American ' squadron being in Pacific waters would tend to protect us, and make a hostile nation think twice before she attempted ■ to interfere with üb. ( From a naval standpoint, 'then, it eeems probable that the canal will bfe advantageous to us. | But, after all, the exact effect is in Vne womb of the future. No one can tell with , any degree of certainty. A few years after 1915— the date of the completion of the canal and also of the expiry of the treaty ! with Japan — we will be able to prophesy, f Meanwhile, it is a little risky. But we are only asked to deal with "probable' effects." This I have endeavoured to do, and to give reasons for my beliefs. j

PRIZE SCRIPTURAL ESSAY.

CHRISTIAN CITIZEXSHIF, (Bt Mrss Robiwa Roseveab.) It seems to me that this ttele implies a j great deal- -a citizen's responsibilities are not bounded by the town in which he lives— I he has duties as regards his country's wel1 fare, and the idoal Christi-an citizen will I never forget that be is a factor in his . nation^ history, as well as in that of his '. town. The nation is one — its life is sacred. < The nation is the Christian people, for j whom Christ shed His blood. In their j unity lies strength— in their division, death. J The curse of Christianity is sectarianism — I the curse of a nation is faction. ■ Each I legislator should legislate for the good .of j !r» country, not for a separate county or town. Each elector should hold his franchise as a sacred trust, to be exercised not for his town, or for a fraction of his town ; not for himself or his friends, but for the common weal of the people of the country in which he lives. " No individual is responsible for a crime committed collectively " was a favourite I Faying of Napoleon's, but it is entirely | oppossd to the spirit of Christianity. No J doubt it is true that had a people no liberty, no .representative power, no ability to make the national will felt, it would "be unjust to make the individual citizen the accomplice in tiie acts of a despotic ruler — but things are entirely altered when autocracy is replaced by democracy. Under democratic rule the hunVbiest citizen ha* power , to voice his own individual, personal opinion on national affairs. He asserts himself : through the representative he helps to send to Parliament. He knows perfectly well that t in h.i« choice, of a representative he is yoic- j ing and perpetuating a national policy — j an<l for tha* polkrv hh e f hus becomes respon- j sibl-?. If it be stained with crime, that tuime lies at his door; if. it oppresses the poor, he is the oppressor ; if it be unjust and tyrannical, he is the tyrant. Christianity bases its law of civic duty On the fact thait the wrong-doing of the unit inflicts rain ' upon the whole community. This, in direct oposition to- the sublime ophorism of .iJiooteftn, makes each individual in a state i

* entirely responsible for any wrong that .'< committed collectively. Indeed, our entire social life is dominated by this system. We should have no national morality left if Christian men and women did not realise tbeir responsibility in the matter, and trip, by every means that Js in their power, to stem the tide of national evil. They are responsible for the drink trade, ■ for the condition of public morals, and for the injustices that crush the poor, if they do not strive, as far as in them lies, to legislate against ft. It is a deplorable fact that some so-called Christian people do not realise fully what is their bounden duty in trese matters; it would seem in such cases that their religion is not by any means -a practical, „ everyday aj^air, "but something that is put away carefully during the week and brought |o the light of the sun •at stated intervals only. The- first great law of social Christianity is " bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ !" And if our young jpeople can be made to thoroughly realise this truth there is a promise of future greatness for our country, for no country can be truly great if righteousness and truth do not hold 1 sway in the hearts of those who govern., it. It is a great pity that our young people of to-day do not realise- more fully what is meant by the religion of citizenship. Young men particularly should make themselves thoroughly acquainted with their duties as citizens — they should -study social and political questions- -in short, make themselves politicians, ■ for if- they rdo not take an intelligent interest in tho government o(them country it were better -that they took no interest at all. It is perhaps only thtf inevitable reaction from this twentieth, century whirl of amusement and pleasure that the- youth of our country take so languid an interest in all civic and national questions. They form no political opinions, and when the- time comes for them to exercisa their votes they are guided solely by a few foolish prejudices. This results in the decadence of citizenship, and also in th« decay of political intelligence. It should be lemembered that at the bottom of all national error there lies political* ignorance, and the only way in which this state of affairs can be avoided is by the formation of clubs and " societies, preferably in conrection with the churches— rin which principles of government and party politics may be earnestly and sensibly discussed.. We are part of what is commonly balled Christendom, "and Christians have l exer< cised in tEe past, and will also exercise in the. future, a formative and, at the sam« time, a beneficial influence upon it. It is of vital importance tha t a Christian, whose aim should be " holiness unto tha' Lord,"" and whose ta.nguaffe in his best moments 'is " none of self, and all oi Thee," should have an instructed conscience and a deep conviction as to whether or no he carries his Christianity into every act of his life as ..a citizen. The Church" lives to fulfil its mission ■, in helping ■ men and women to realise the full and complete ~ dignity oi their manhood and womanhood, and the best .basis on which to build up a - strong and robust character, is a right, con< ception of duty, and an earnest striving to live -up to that conception. | " Give us men — ■ |. Men of faith, and not of faction, i Men of lofty aim in action, [ Men who tread where saints have trod, I Men for country, right,, and God."