THE VANCOUVER SERVICE

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 228, 9 January 1911, Page 5

THE VANCOUVER SERVICE

THE OBJECTIONS TO INCLUDE NEW ZEALAND. By Cable—Press Association—Copyright. Melbourne, January 7. One of the grounds raised, by the Federal Government against the inclusion of New Zealand in the Vancouver mail service was New Zealand's preferential tariff arrangement with Canada. Mr. Ross, Canadian Trades Commissioner, suggests that the difficulty might be overcome by the Federal Parliament, immediately it assembles in September, passing an Act to extend to Canada a set of minimum duties equivalent to the minimum tariff that the Dominion Government could then apply to Australia. He understood that if a satisfactory arrangement be adopted to include New Zealand in the contract, the Union Company will at once place orders for one or two additional steamers of tons for the service. These steamers are not likely to be ordered unless Auckland is made a port of call, because the contractors would not otherwise obtain the compensating advantage of an additional subsidy. Mr. Fisher proposes when he meets Sir Wilfrid Laurier in London to raise the question of tariff reciprocity with Canada, and any action the Federal Government is likely to take is therefore dependent on the result of those negotiations.