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The Hon. Dr. Cockburn thought he could hardly do so in so short a time. The Hon. Mr. Tiiynne thought some provision should be miide that no landing-place he' afforded by any of the Colonies to any foreign or competing undertaking. The Hon. Mr. Cook : That is already provided. The Hon. Mr. Duffy : There is one little matter—if we construct the cable, will it be necessary to state that in our opinion it ought to be under Imperial guarantee ? The Hon. Mr. Cook : I do not think there can be any question as to that. The Hon. Dr. Cockburn suggested that it would help to get at the object in view if the Conference placed on record its views as to his Colony's attitude. The Hon. Mr. Cook : Supposing we say that it is desirable that South Australia should come in, and (you, representing her here, having expressed the desirability of joining) ask you to state your proposition on behalf of your Government, as to the terms on which you would be prepared to come in? The Hon. Dr. Cockburn: Supposing you put it, "It is the desire of this Conference that South Australia should co-operate with the Colonies in obtaining this cable; and that, in the opinion of this Conference, in the event of the Pacific cable being constructed, either the Port Darwin line should be taken over, or " The Hon. Mr. Duffy : Do you mean constructed by the four contracting Colonies ? The Hon. Dr. Cockburn was not in favour of each Colony bearing the same amount of cost. In all co-operative work, he thought, the contributions should be on the basis of population. The Hon. Mr. Cook : Tou see how you will hit us. Our inequality of population makes us take an entirely different view. We say we are outsiders, practically speaking, in this matter. We think a fair thing would be to let us off at least with an equal payment. The Hon. Dr. Cockburn : It would prejudice our chance of coming in very much The Hon. Mr. Duffy: Tou certainly should come in on equal terms ; you get greater consideration than any of the Colonies. Others would say, "We get nothing at all, and here is South Australia getting all this consideration." The Hon. Dr. Cockburn :No Colony is in the same position as South Australia; no Colony has had the same loss. Expecting .us to come in equally is tantamount to saying that South Australia should not look for any consideration or generosity at all. The Hon. Mr. Duffy : Well, the reciprocity should not be all on one side. . The Hon. Mr. Cook: If you take up the attitude of stopping outside, our obligation to you ceases that moment. If you are not coming in, there is no obligation regarding your line. The Hon. Dr. Cockburn : I do not think that. The Hon. Mr. Cook : I think so. The Hon. Dr. Cockburn : We did not construct the line specially for the benefit of our own Colony ; all mutually profited by it. The Hon. Mr. Cook: I don't think you had an idea outside. The Hon. Dr. Cockburn : But there are such ideas. The Hon. Mr. Thynne : Do you know what the history really is ? There was an arrangement made to carry a line across to the Gulf of Carpentaria from the East Coast of Queensland to meet the Eastern Company's cables. The Company's representatives wore intercepted at Adelaide, where the Government induced them to alter their scheme by laying the cable to Port Darwin, which was to be connected with Adelaide by the South Australian overland line. The Company thereupon broke their b.argain with Queensland. Queensland constructed its own line right across to Normanton at very great expense, amd South Australia thought it was doing a good thing for itself. They induced the Company to break their contract with us, and took upon themselves, the burden of this overland line. That is the history. The Hon. Dr. Cockburn: These secret histories are all very interesting, but one does not know how much there is in them. I have not heard that one before. Quite apart from that, stands the fact that South Australia has for twenty-four years had this work constructed and carried on, and it has been recognised that it is of intercolonial importance and that South Australia is entitled to the goodwill, and something more, of her neighbours on account of her enterprise. At previous interchanges of opinion between the Colonies it was recognised on all hands that South Australia would not be expected to contribute. The Hon. Mr. Cook : One thing should be set against another. It is recognised that your isolated position has perhaps justified you in standing out —therefore no proposal to stand in with South Australia or anything of the kind has ever been made. The Hon. Dr.- Cockburn : In New Zealand, and in the debates there, it has been stated by the other Colonies that in the event of the Pacific cable being constructed, South Australia could not be expected to contribute. Still, although that was the understanding, it was freely expressed in Committee that in the event of the cable being laid, the other Colonies would either compensate South Australia for the construction of her transcontinental line, or guarantee that her receipts would not be materially diminished. The Hon. Mr. Cook doubted it; if in committee, it was not reported. But you will find that the statement that South Australia could not be expected to contribute was" reported. The Hon. Mr. Thynne : The other colonies had to look to the future, and all they should ask South Australia to do was to keep the land line open to them as an alternative route. The Hon. Mr. Cook : On condition they join us. The Hon. Dr. Cockburn : Tou will make it easier if you do not absolutely make that condition. We have to consider the attitude of the people of South Australia in this matter. If a resolution were carried such as I have indicated, it would go a long way towards causing the people of South Australia to view this project more favourably than they have hitherto done, and I have very little doubt that South Australia would contribute. It would come to just the same thing. The Hon. Mr. Cook : I think in the discussion of these matters it would be better not to go into a strict analysis of rights on either side. The Hon. Dr. Cockburn continued he would suggest that the resolution be passed in the form he had indicated, and he would say that under the circumstances he would do his utmost to persuade his Colony to contribute towards the construction of the line. At this point the Hon. Dr. Cockburn found the passage in the New Zealand Conference Eeport which he had been looking for, which he passed on to the President to read, and conversation took place as to how far any expression had been given in Committee to the opinion that, in the event of the Pacific cable being constructed, South Australia should be compensated. The