THE FAST MAIii,SERV.|CE. AND OTHER MATTERS^

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

THE FAST MAIL SERVICE. AND OTHER MATTERS.

Received^**riPi&. 97 a.m.) : /" " PJEET^H, June 12. Sir J. G.? Ward says';,— "lt. is -/undeniable that l>here is; ft. great want of knowledge concerning the position of the self -governing colonies and the development that is taking place in them. I must say that Canada to some extent should be excepted, for the reason that 'she made,, advertising an art. She is advertising wherever -fier representa-> tives are to be fotmd»>n6Vmakef a display of what Canada has $j naffer in the nay of land attractions and the employment for workers in. \a manner w hich is extremely successful. For in-, -stance, I visited the Dublin Exhibition, where Canada had ». separate j court, " which was filled up in sudh a way that ijsitors had before them a realistic pre.sentation of wheat fields and dairying land, with cattle grazipg on the farm. As the outcome of Canada's pushfulhess, I saw three or four, steamers laden jysith human freight leave Scotland and , i&ngland for Canada. The Dominion is fetter knqwn.;in EnglandHhan any of tlie self-governing colonies." Its comparative nearness to Extsm& .& also , a factor in keeping it before the eyes of the British people. Although I must, \in justice .to our representatives, say they .spare no pains to keep their countries, before the public/ yet '"our expenditure in advertising Isj- very small indeed compared with that df Canada. The British people -Sear that preference *&ill raise the price of .commodities to the consumer, but in my opinion the • uJ!i£ftlKLj^t^*!lSSH9^^ r c °l° n^ GS "i or the Home marke^Jfolild keep prices at a ?faii^evet: "<>**&- difficulty in the way of preference is the belief that Canada, Australia, and New Zealand could not supply sufficient v%heat to take the place of ; that at, present imported into Great Britain from . Russia, Americi, . and other countries; but I believe Can-, ada and Australia alone could in a short time, if it had ths certainty of a market, more" than supply requirements. However, ,under the circumstances it was impossible to carry out.preferential proposals at the recent Conference, Jbut we can hppe for better th|ngs»irom the next. With' reference to the mail subsidy, 'l'* advocated an imprdved At-lantie-Paci&c service across. -Canada to New Zealand and Australia. My view wai that we should aim at a twenty days' service hei ween New. Zealand and London — four days across the Atlantic, four days" across' Canada, and twelve tiays across the Pacific to New Zealand It is quite a common thing for a steamer to travel between London <ind.,America | at 21 or 22 knots. I hold thaj^ |he same speed could be maintained Detweoi r "Vaflcouv^r^oW; Ze&lg.ijd.jaircl. Austra- ; ilia, providecf tho countries^)ncerned are prepared to pay a subsidy large enough to induce of the class of steamers" mentioned to take up thy trade. It would necessitate a subside 'of about £400,g(H>-.ar yeaif. Although •this-iepa large sum, itjbotald be boruo ft divided proportionately "between tho -•countries concerned " ' ... «s^r Asked whether snfch- a'seaNe&e would ' not interfere with the Suez Canal service, Sir Joseph replied: "My opinioi ; is 'that it 'would not. The service I advocate would cause- an increase in trafWherever greai^^eamer facilities passenger traffic have been provided I they resulted in such an enormoug. in1 creasa is^irade/ fch^t^ifctead of injury to existing' lfhes' they #aye caused the establishment of additional lines to cope with the traffic. This has been the ex- ' perience vi.the Atlantic" trade, where^ of course, the"re>il aXl&rge population at the end of the .line. We in Australia i must look forward to a large increase i'iu population iflHhe years to come, and by establishing* a most up-tp-date passenger service we would-be doing much , tc attract immigrants to our. shorr-s. So far as New Zealand is concerned, we will leave . nothing undone to establish such a service. A.t. v l?raitlu tne Imperial and Navigation Cbniei!siice3 I advpcated reduction in the Suez Canal dues. The- present high \Hrtas shave handicapped the developmeijl of colonial trade, causing the bulk of imports and exports to, be carried^aKxmd the Cape. It seems tib me," contini|pd Sir Joseph, I " monstrous that the rates should be so high that ordinary cargo steamers -are almost prohibited from using the canal. It is possible, in view of -the speeches made by Australian representatives, that some" alteration will be made in the near future."