Poverty Bay Herald. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. GISBORNE. FRIDAY APRIL 24, 1903 NAVIGATION LAWS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 9726, 24 April 1903, Page 2

Poverty Bay Herald. P UBLISHED EVERY EVENING. GISBORNE. FRIDAY APRIL 24, 1903 NAVIGATION LAWS.

That the navigation laws of the United Kingdom and the colonies require revision must be admitted when it is shown how unfairly they bear on British ships and British trade. At present foreign-owned vessels are permitted to carry passengers and goods between different ports of the British Empire, but a similar privilege is not. granted by some foreign countries to British ships. For instance, no British steamer is allowed to carry passengers or cargo between any two American ports, even if those ports are as wide apart as New York and 'Frisco, because that would come under the designation of coastal trade. We, on the other hand, allow American or other ships to participate m our coastal trade, and coastal trade, under the same interpretation, would mean carrying goods or passengers between two or more ports m any part of the British Empire. This is manifestly unfair, and the time has now arrived when su-jh a state of things should be altered. The advisability of alleging the navigation laws was oni> of the questions dealt with at the Conference of Prime Ministers and the Secretary of State for the Colonies m London last* year, and it was then agreed that the attention of the Governments of the colonies and the United Kingdom should be called to the present state of the navigation laws m the Empire and m other countries, and to the advisability of refusing the privileges of coastwise trade, including trade between the Mother Country and its colonies and possessions, and between one colony and possession and another, to countries m which the corresponding trade is confined to ships of their own nationality ; and also to the laws affecting shipping, with the view of seeing whether any steps should be taken to promote Imperial trade m British vessels. The, effect of the United States navigation laws has been to prevent the Union Company's steamer Moana taking part m the 'Frisco service, because the 'Frisco boats call at Honolulu, a United States port, and then go on to 'Frisco, another United States port. The question then arises; Is ' Great Britain, and are the colonies, going lo submit to such unfair treatment, and do nothing by way of retaliation? The Prime Minister of the Australian Commonwealth, Sir Edmund Barton, has emphatically declared that he thinks we should accord to foreign countries similar treatment m respect to navigation laws as that lo which they subject us. Foreigu countries can hardly objectto that. Presuming tho Commonwealth amends its 'laws m the direction indicated, it will mean a great blow to the German and French lines running to Australia. Our own Premier is pledged to endeavor to get Parliament to agree to the change, and there should be little difficulty m doing so. It will naturally be asked : How will this change affect the 'Frisco* service? Since his return from England, Mr Seddon is, if anything, more Imperialistic m his ideas than ever, and it almost goes without saying that he looks with greater favor on the Vancouver service than on the 'Frisco line. Although the Government does not see its way at present, to drop the 'Frisco service, there is no doubt that line will be indirectly affect>fl by the passing of the new navigation law. for Messrs Spreckles ships will no) be able to carry passengers or cargo between Auckland and Sydney. If better steamers are put on' the' "Vancouver service, that company will be able to put m a claim that can Jinrdly be denied for nnr passenger and mail service to .America. The declarations of the Prime Ministers of the Commonwealth and New Zealand indicate a change of policy m our relations with foreign countries, and an intention to treat them as they treat, us ;• also, to assist trade between the different parts of lie Empire, and that will probably mean m a short time an improved Vancouver service running to New Zealand as well as to Australia.