The Herald. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. SATURDAY, MAY 27, 1905. THE COLONY'S SHIPPING.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XII, Issue 2064, 27 May 1905, Page 4

The Herald. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. SATURDAY, MAY 27, 1905. THE COLONY'S SHIPPING.

Replying to the toast of *• the sliiping of New Zealand at a social I function at the rooms of the Australasian I natitutc of Marine Engineers. 1 Mr Jones, Manager of the HnddartParker Company, spoke of the , present position of the New Zealand coastal intercolonial shipping j business. On the coastal trade, he said, the passengers and freight I business was healthy and growing, and if Jthe stability of this branch 1 of commerce were evidence of prosi perity, then the colony must be ■ very prosperous indeed. He could ! not, however, speak in the same | terms of the shipping trade with i Australia. "Large and expensive I steamers were constantly plying between Australia and New Zealand. ' and yet in the Inst twelve or eighteen j months they had been practically | empty in making their trips, boats ! that con Id easily carry 2000 tons being quite glad to be able to take 300 tons of produce. Of the incoming cargoes a great proportion consisted of transhipments from Europe, America, and other outside countries, but. of a hnim-jiilr import business from Australia there was very little, and it was not growing. It wonld prove enormously beneficial, not only to the shipowners, but also to the communities on both sides of the Tasman Sea, if the produels of Australia amt New Zealand j could be exchanged more freely, i This, we may sn.v, is the Ovttx of ! tho whole question. Mr .Tones said he was glad to see that there was a 1 B , i movement towards a tree exchange

of commodities and be hoped that the movement would spreed until it , at last grew to an absolute freetrade , between this country and the Commonwealth. We certainly cannot agree (with Mr Jones when ho says that there is “ a movement towards a freer exchange of commodities ” between Australia and New Zealand. Mr Seddon has succeeded in bnilding a wall of protection round the shores of this colony to keep out the products of all nations, and because New Zealand did not

see its way to join in the Australian Federation movement, the Federal Government imposed a tariff for the purpose of keeping out the prodnets of New Zealand. Even this iniqnitous tariff did not accompli sit its chief object, because dnring tho disastrous drought in Australia people there were compelled to buy New Zealand products, at enhanced prices, on account of the operation of the exorbitant tariff above re-

ferred to. Mr. Tones added : “ Here were two democratic countries growing up side by side, members of the same Empire, populated by descendants of the same stock, striving towards the same political ideals, having practically the same standard of comfort and living, and each producing what the other wanted : and it was pitiful to rcc them separated by hostile tari'Ts on each side. If any statesman could break down these tariffs he wonld do a brilliant piece of work, and would reap the benefit in years to come.” Rut what statesman will undertake this task ? The Premier and Sir Joseph Ward in recent speeches have referred to the necessity .of reciprocal relations being entered into with Australia. This is simply talk and nothing else. Mr Seddon’s idea of reciprocity is to jew increased imposts on foreign goods, but not to reduce the duties on British articles. This

is wliat he calls preferential trade to British goods. One would expect that some sacrifice wonhl be made in favour of British goods, in view of tlie fact that Great Britain takes the great bulk of onr surplus products. But no. The exigencies of the Treasury chest, which seems to he always in a depleted condition, liars the wnv to fiscal reform. Mr Seddon gives a turn to the screw of Cnstoms taxation, and boasts of having established the principle of preferential trade. As long as this poliev prevails we cannot hope to see reciprocal relations established between New Zenland and Australia or Great Britain, or any other eonntrv.