HIS OPINION ON'GENERAL BiE- ' .SULTS OF CONFERENCE,

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 1350, 12 June 1907, Page 5

HIS OPINION ON 'GENERAL RESULTS OF CONFERENCE,

t 1..! PERTH, June 11. , Interviewed this morning on his return from London, Sir J. G. Ward was asked to state his opinion on the gene-, ral results of bath, the Imperial Cpn-r ference.and the Maritime, Conference. , He stated that iaiia qpinion Taoth Conferences l^ad ' justified calling together iep&Sentkti veW of * tife ielf -go^etnin^ polonies. In respectPto J ihe Maritime Conference the results the Commonwealth more*T;lian New Zealand, for the r^aww t|p«,t already had a Shipjaing afld Sjeamen's jAct upon theaStatlite !ppok*.£j&at provided for nearly all the matters that !were. dealt- with sfeyythe Conference. Sonll poi^y, 'Wmivtff of general application were dealt with, which were* of material ißserejfc#p NsK3?f!s*sO T-WBT -WB protection of local shipowners, as well a^ofl^rsjM^eajn^^r^^ petition from abroad, together with the assimilation of various xulep of practice: where it was* possible to give effect to them, were most valuable. He intended; to ask Parliament of 'New Zealand^to legislate in accordance with tie resolutions carried at the Conference in places where legislation was necessary. It would, in his opinion, have been a good thing had the* Maritime Conference met ten" years ago, for the representative men of England and the. colonies might have devised common grounds of action, and so prevented many of the, difficulties that had subse* quently arisen: One great good resulting from the Conference follows from the fact that shipping interests in the United Kingdom and the colonies were brought face to face round, a common table, where personal discussion and frank interchange of opinion did so much*to clear and remove misundeiv standings that inevitably exist where everything is left to correspondence and despatches. Sir Joseph Ward said the success of. the Conference was . im no small measure due to the tact and ability displayed by Hon. D. Lloyd-George: Where so many conflicting interests were concerned, the risk of friction was great, and that this did not occur was due not only to the reasonable attitude of the delegates, but -equally to the courtesy and judgment of the President. While naturally and properlyalive to his enormous responsibilities as official head of the world-wide shipping trade of the United Kingdom, he snowed an evident desire to meet the views of the Commonwealth and New Zealand wherever he 1 possibly could. In reference to the Imperial Conference, the difficulties presenting themselves were in some respects very great indeed.. It was the first real business conference of representative men.from oversea doming ions that had taken place in. England. Former Conferences had < done good work, but that work was of an- entirely preliminary character, and practical issues were first deal with at this^Conference. He would have greatly liked to have seen preferential trade agreed to by the British representatives, but they could not shut their eyes to the position of the British Government, who were returned with a record majority pledged, among other things-, to contiAuance of free trade. In common with other matters of conference, Sir Joseph Ward pressed the .point that preference was quite distinct from free trade, and could be given effect ' to without violating the principles of that doctrine. , The British Government, however, were not prepared to accept this view ; hence the most that could be said was that a good deal was done in the way of educating public opinion upon that point. A most important step was taken in the establishing of the Conference as a permanent institution, with the Prime Minister of Greas Britain as standing president. The actual constitution of the Conference, its functions and machinery for doing its work, were left to be settled at a future meeting, and this, in his opinion, was a very wise step. Meanwhile the machinery would be worked by the Colonial Office. The discussions that took place in connection with the military and naval defences of the Empye, particularly in relation to the colonies, were of the greatest importance. In respect to naval defence, the views, of. the Commonwealth differed from those, of New Zealand, and Sir Joseph Ward naturally expressed no opinion as to the course pursued by the Commonwealth, as it was a matter entirely for them to decide upon. New Zealand preferred to continue the exjsting system, under which" the whole naval defence is conducted and controlled by the Admiralty, New Zealand contributing upon a money basis. He had explained at 1 the Conference that they had yet many years' development of their country to provide for, and obligations that, entailed as much as the colony was justified .in undertaking. He hoped, however, that the course the Commonwealth proposed to take would turn out to be one of great success to them. i Sir Joseph Ward further expressed sa<ssfaction that his suggestions in favour of the cheapening o£ postal and cable rates, and the quickening of mail communica-. tions, together with the establishment of commercial delegates, representing the Government" in Brrtish colonies, had been favourably received^ and he hoped that practical results would follow. Sir Joseph, in reply to an inquiry as to the attitude of the British Government at the Conference, expressed himself in high terms of the courtesy and consideration extended to all the delegates by Lord Elgin, who most capably presided. Asked as to his impression of London, he said that the hospitality and kindness that he and his party had received from all sections of the British people from the day of arrival would never be forgotten by them. Pressure of work daily outside the Conference itself had given him an exceedingly busy time,, but he was returning to New Zealand with delighted remembrances of his visit. These were en-J hanced from the fact that the great link" in the chain of Imperial brotherhood had been strengthened through thei memorable Conference of 1907.