IMPERIAL CONFERENCE.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 10963, 4 May 1907, Page 3

IMPERIAL CONFERENCE.

(Press Assn. — By. Telegraph. — Copyright.) (Received May 4, 8.24 a.m.) LONDON, May 2. Sir W. Lyne, m a vigorous outspoken speech, declared that Air Asquith had been unnecessarily brusque anil uncompromising m his attempts to belittle the advantage of colonial offers. It would bo scarcely fair if Australian preference was restricted to 8 ]ier cent, of tradle, yielding a profit of £100,000. H it was more widely extended, as was contemplated, it might perhaps have yielded a profit of £1,20U,000. Sir W. Lyne, replying to Sir J. L, Mackay, stated it was unlikely the people of Australia, with high social conditions, would place • Lascars, earning 4jd per day, on the same category as Australian seamen earning ,s to ss. . Sir J. L. Mackay interjected,: The Lascars receive ninepence per day. Sir W. Lyne asserted that foreign shipping and trade were increasing m Australia far . _, quicker 'than British. He feared Britain JV' W as losing her hold on Australian markets. ; Preference; would rectify this. Britain was really more concerned, than Austra|ia. He advocated low Australian duties on British goods and _igher on freight. Australia did not want a onesided bargain. If 2s per quarter preference was conceded to colonial wheat, 20,000,000 more acres would be planted m the colonies. The concession would not raise the price of bread. The colonies would be able to supply nearly everything Britain wanted. Sir W. Lyne,. continuing, emphasised the increasing keenness of foreign competition m the colonies, citing the latest statistics. Foreign nations, gave bounties and concessions of all kinds m order . to increase trade, thereby increasing also the mercantile marine and reserves for* naval warfare. -11. the- British Government were so satisfied that they had got a mandate against preference, why hesitate, to appeal to the country by referendum: to find out if it was still of the same; opinion? He denied there was a mandate. '_'"•'■■

Mr Deakin inquired whether the British : Governmentj being absolutely determined against preference, would consider a proposal, on the lines suggested by Mr Hofmeyer m 1887 and Sir Charles Sydenham Clarke m Melbourne on November 9, 1903, involving the creation of an Imperial fund by one per cent. .special import duty levied all foreign goods entering British ports, the fund to be applied to the improvement and development of .maritime communications of the Empire, improvements m the carriage of mails, cable serviceSj and other common ImSerial ends, like dealing with the Suez anal difficulty. T Mr Asquith said he was not prepared to answer without consideration. Later, Mr Deakin asked Mr Lloyd George if he was prepared to take tlieir propositions into consideration. He said Britain could make up her contribution to the Imperial fund by any means she pleased, so long as she provided an equivalent. Mr Deakin thought such a pro-posal-well worth examination, m order to ascertain if it was within Mr Asquith's

undertaking that the Government were prepared to look favorably on any proposal for improving inter-Imperial communications and the development of commerce and trade. If the Government

wer.e favorable to the idea, then the Conference could try to arrive at, it practical -Agreement. It would be better to wait that or some similar scheme than, to close the Conference without being able to show any advance. His great object was to elicit some positive proposal. Mr Deakin's suggestion appeared. to be" received with disfavor on the part of two colonial representatives, also by Mr Lloyd George ana Mr Churchill. The two latter consented to consider thc matter. Both will speak on Monday. The Daily Chronicle emphasises and the Morning Post admits that regarding the domain of trade and communication the "results of the Conference have not been of a negative order. The Post, however, contends that on the main question the voice of India is only thei voice .of a department of the British Government which is administering the country. Ifc adds: Tested by the value per head the Australian market is incomparably more valuable tq us than the German.

According to the Daily Telegraph the Motherland stands alone m desiring less than m 1902. Sir J. Li Mackay stated at the Conference that if preference was adopted the Indian manufacturers would press for protection. The Morning" Post asks why should they not do so. The Times says it is doubtful whether the development of India's possibilities is not fettered m the interests of British manufneturb. Mr Deakin, m a letter t 0 the Times, emphasises that Australian preference is a mere forerunner, a preliminary overture, m no way satisfying Australian desires, since a large majority on the rolls approved of his programme, which m due course would be submitted to Parliament. Mr Hoffmeyer, speaking at Welling, ton, South Africa, said the Afrikander Bond was not to be expected to show, the idolatorous worship of Empire like Britishers, but it had the real interests at heart, and its maintenance of the navy as a means to that end. His tariff proposals at the Conference of 1887 originated m the approval of a differential duty by England and the colonies on for- - eigri goods for tha benefit of the navy, -C.uch duties working reciprocally. Chtnit's awakening and the Rnssian-Japancse war necessitated the maintenance of a powerful fleet. SYDNEY, May 4. Tlie Herald, after reviewing the position Mr Deakin and his party obtained at the elections remarks': "For such a Minister to claim he has a. mandate from Australia to offer preference on his own terms, is a course of political conduct which we can hardly define m Parliamentary _ language. His astonishing colleague, Sir W. Lyne, nearly equals the effrontery of the Prime Minister when he invites the Imperial Government to institute a referendum on the subject.