A COLONIST'S NOTION AS TO IMPERIAL DEFENCE.

Timaru Herald, Volume XL, Issue 3196, 23 December 1884, Page 3

A COLONIST'S NOTION AS TO IMPERIAL DEFENCE.

Sir Alexander Gait, writing m the Pall Mall Oasttte, says : — " I have read with the deepest interest the series of able articles which has aroused publio attention to the condition of the Navy, and the unprotected state of the groat coaling and natal stations of the Empire. With reference to the actual and relative strength of the Navy, there seems to be a consensus of public opinion that early and vigorous measures must be taken to increase it. But as a colonist ray interest is naturally more excited by the question of defending the important points , m; both hemispheres which guarantee tho eafety of British commerce. It has thus been with a feeling of great disappointment that I have read the meagre and insufficient conclusions at whioh the Government have arrived upon tho exhaustive report of Lord Oarnarvpn's comtnittee. The great difficulty m dealing with both branches of the naval question appears to be financial. If funds were voted .by Parliament and granted by the Treasury all parties would unite m immediate steps to ensure the pre-eminence of. British power on the ocean. Will you permit me to offer a. suggestion as to a mode by whioh, at least, the do*

fence of the naval and coaling station abroad might bo at once undertaken 0 The amount of registered British an< 5 colonial shipping is now about 9,000,00! 0 tons. It ia all alike exposed to caplun 8 m case of war, and should, I think * directly contribute to its own protection g I would, therefore, propose a tonnagi l^j duty sufficient for the interest and re q demption of whatever amount might re L 3 quire to be raised. One penny per toi 0 would yield £37,500 per annum, and 6c 2 would produce, if capitalised, m terminable _ annuities, probably enough to fortify all oui 18 principal stations. It would really be £ form of marine insurance, and m case ol s. hostilities would be tenfold repaid bj . diminished rates of war risks. T venture 1 to think such a tax would be much more 1 fair to Buch ports as Hong Kong or Singapore than the proposed plan of making them directly contribute to the cost ol j: defences which are not local, but g general. And I cannot conceive q that tho great self-governing coloq nies would object to an impost upon g their shipping which would give them 1 such an additional sense of security. The 6 tax would actually fall upon the freight, 0 and not upon the shipping, and, there--2 fore, as Great Britain is the great carrier 3 of the world, we should make foreigners - contribute a very fair share to the main--2 tenance of our maritime supremacy. As regards collection, it could be very simply •• managed by requiring payment each year on the first clearance granted to every ' British ship sailing from a British port. "