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REPORT OF PROCEEDINGS OF THE COXKEHENCE

am not sine that they will satisfy my friend Mi. Havelock Wilson, but still we are making some progress in this respect, and therefore it is exceedingly desirable that we should have so far as we possibly can some kind of understanding between the Mother Country and her Colonies as to the regulations and restrictions which are to be imposed on British ships when they navigate in Colonial waters. The legislation of last year will, 1 think, ease matters very considerably. We have not quite come up to the Australian standard, but you ran hardly expect us to do that. This country is old, and moves much more slowly than her younger and sprightlier children across the seas, and reforms proceed with much Blower pace here than they do in the Colonies. 1 dare say many of us regret that, and look with longing eyes to the legislation which you have been able to achieve in the Colonies without much difficulty. It is an old country, and we move slowly; but we do, I think, mim.■! lines move fairly fast, for last year we moved much faster than our shipowners cared to do. We, for instance, obtained the main suggestions- some of the main suggestions — of the Royal Commission on shipping in Australia, and we have go'ne a veiy long way towards adopting those suggestions, and we had them in our minds when the Mills were framed: it was part of the material on which we proceeded when we framed our legislation here, which included the-representations of the Royal Commission as to the application of the Work men's Compensation Act to seamen. That was passed in the last session of Parliament. Then again as to the Food Scale. I think the Food Scale is a better scale than that of the British Navy, and is the best Food Scale probably in the world, with the possible exception of the American. The Australian Boyal Commission recommended that ships carrying 80 or more persons should have a certificated cook, and Section 27 of the Merchant Shipping Act of last year imposes a similar obligation on every British foreign-going ship of 1,000 tons and upwards gross tonnage; and then there is another recom Herniation which I consider the most important of all that the Australian Commission recommended, and that is for the air-space tor each seaman to be not less than 120 cubic feet. This recommendation was adopted as far as the Imperial Act of last year was concerned, and it is now part of the shipping laws of this country. So that you see our part is very considerably eased by the legislation which was passed last year. I should like to say that the four main recommendations made by the Australian Boyal Commission have been substantially adopted by the legislation of last year. I have no doubt that in many respects we still fall very short, but that is very considerable progress for us to make in the course of a single year in this country. Well now, there is one difficulty which will have to be discussed. I am not going, in the statement I am about to make, into details which might be regarded as controversial. I do not want at the present moment to raise any general discussion upon those questions. We have to consider them in detail later on, but one of the most important matters which we shall have to discuss is the question of the mantling trade. The only suggestion I make at the present moment is this. There are legal and treaty questions which may be raised; for my part I would rather leave those outside if we possibly can, and would rather discuss the whole question as practical men desirous of arriving at some kind of a solution which may be a working solution between the Mother Country and her Colonies : and therefore for that reason, as I am in the presence of SO many men with practical acquaintance of shipping, both in the Colonies and from Great Britain, they will undoubtedly be exceedingly careful in arriving at a settlement of some of the most difficult points in connection with these questions. I do not want to go into further detail. There are several points which we have to discuss. We have first of all to discuss the question of procedure, and perhaps before lunch we should just confine ourselves to one or two matters of that kind instead of going into questions which we have to settle finally ; we should first of all dispose of the question of procedure. We might also discuss the question of what communications will be made to the Press. With regard to tin , question of procedure, 1 have been talking to Sir William Lvne on the subject. I understand that the Australian delegates have certain resolutions to submit to the Conference, but Sir William Lyne informs me that he prefers not submitting them now. ■ I was perfectly prepared to discuss the whole of these questions upon the basis of those resolutions, but I think that we should discuss them later than this. Therefore we propose to take the thing in the order in which we think it might

be discussed. With regard to the communication to the Press, I would suggest that a small committee should be formed of, say, three, one representative of each pi the Colonics and a representative of the British Government. These should form a small sub-committee, who would at the end of each day's proceedings draft something which might be communicated to the Press. Those are the only two suggestions which I have made for discussion we adjourn for lunch, but before we proceed to discuss these two matters 1 should like to invite the Prime Minister of New Zealand and Sir William Lyne to make a few general observations upon the course of onfereiice which they may think bo be relevant. I will only now thank you, gentlemen, for respond ii the invitation of the Imperial Government to discuss matters oi such enormous importance to our shipping. Shipping, after all, is our most important industry; it is an industry of which we are naturally very proud; we ery proud that in an element where we have; to meet our competitors on equal terms we distance them to the extent we have done, and therefore we are exceedingly anxious that it should not be embarrassed and hindered more than it is absolutey necessary in the prosecution of its business. I do not think I have anythin- more to submit to the Conference except to say that 1 think we had better confine ourselves for the next half-hour or three-quarters of an hour to the discussion of the general aspects of tin- case, rather than to details. Perhaps Sir Joseph Ward will kindly say a few words. Sin JOSEPH WARD: Mr. President and Gentlemen, I desire in the first place to return, on behalf of the Colon) I have the honour of representing, our warmest thanks for the reception extended to us by the representative of the British Government, Mr. Lloyd George, at the same time I wish to assure you that the sentiments to which he has given utterance are appreciated by the delegates from New Zealand, and in turn we look upon the Mother Country—and rightly so—as the place which we want to co-operate with; recognising, as we do, that in the sprightly younger countries we have an active population who take a very great interest indeed in all matters appertaining to the welfare of thai] own country and the old world. They send us to the old world which we fully recognise on account of its great population, and the vastneSS and complicity of the interests affected, cannot always move in the direction which the younger countries would wish it. The importance of the interests involved in the shipping world are fully appreciated by New Zealand, and I recognise, as one of the delegates here, how important it is to see that the owners of that great industry are not in any way imposed upon or handicapped as against their foreign competitors. The owners of British ships trade all over the world. In the case of New Zealand—which has been referred to by Mr. Lloyd George—we have very good shipping legislation on the Statute Book, and, speaking for New Zealand. I am anxious there should be no misunderstanding on one point. So far as the Act to which he has referred is concerned, I understood him to say that the Royal assent was given to it upon the nuclei standing that it was to be a subject of discussion at this Conference. I hope the President will recognise with me that it would be out of place for this Conference to express any opinion as to the expediency or wisdom of the legislation which the New Zealand Parliament believe to be necessary for New Zealand in the interests both of shipowners and the seamen who man our ships in the Southern Seas. When he says an understanding was come to that that Act should be a subject of consideration at this Conference, he does not, I hope, suggest that we should amend it in the way of taking from what the Colony herself believes to be an advantage to her people. I gather, Mr. Lloyd-George, that the New Zealand Shipping Act will probably be a basis upon which this Conference may consider it desirable to improve the British legislation. or improve the legislation in the British Empire, to enable the shipping of the world to be controlled on uniform lines. I heartily indorse the opinion exp by the President that we should, as far as possible, avoid details at this Conference —that principles only should be dealt with. In this way, we will very soon lain upon what material points we are in agreement and upon what other points difference of opinion arises, requiring the consideration of our respective Governments. New- Zealand claims to own a share of the international shipping of the world. We are proud to own one of the finest shipping organisations in the world—the Union Shipping Company of