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meeting towards the promotion of this scheme, as their line, of course, connects Dublin with Galway. Both schemes, apparently, are based on a train-ferry service between Dublin and Holyhead, a distance of sixty-four miles; and in favour of this project it has been urged that the train-ferry which has been operating for more than a year now between Germany and Sweden, over a course of exactly the same distance—sixty-four miles —is already proving itself a great success. It is a peculiar thing that both groups —the Galway Bay and Blacksod Bay group —estimate the money required for carrying out their particular scheme at £1,300,000, the Galway scheme requiring a million or more for harbourconstruction and comparatively little for railway expenses, while the Mayo scheme would necessitate an outlay of over a million on a new line of railway and relatively nothing on the harbour. The new Union Contract. Supporters of the all-red route must feel pleased with the attention that the London Times is paying to the project. A few days ago this influential organ wished it all success at the Imperial Conference, and now it devotes a colunri to discussing the new Union contract and the all-red route. After stating that the attitude of the Commonwealth Government appears to have been governed chiefly by the consideration that to subsidize a Canadian service with a port of call in New Zealand would be to subsidize New Zealand trade with Canada, the Times continued : — " The situation is interesting in its bearing upon the all-red-route scheme, which is to come once again before the Imperial Conference. New Zealand's proposal is for a service between Vancouver, Fiji, Auckland, and Sydney by steamers of not less than 10,000 tons and an average speed of 16 knots. The Australian objections to participation in the new Canadian-New Zealand contract would apply to Sir Joseph Ward's proposal, since under it New Zealand would still enjoy the advantages of geography, and also of reciprocity, granting the continuation of present trade relations between the three dominions concerned. The Canadian Finance Minister, however, has announced that the concessions made to the United States under the Washington agreement will also apply, in the event of its enactment, to the importations into Canada from the other countries. The effect would be to stimulate inter-Imperial trade in the Pacific, and possibly to induce the Commonwealth Government to contribute to the service via New Zealand proposed by the latter. The official New Zealand proposal, however, is much more fmodestj than that of the all-red-route syndicate. The syndicate contemplates the establishment of a service once every twenty-eight days between Vancouver, Auckland, and Sydney, with vessels not of 16, but of at least 18 knots. How far such a service would pay we are not concerned to argue. The syndicate which proposes to run it expects, we understand, a considerable increase of trade between Australasia and Canada, and contemplates considerable economies from the use of oil as fuel, the oil to be obtained from the Californian fields and possibly ultimately from Canadian sources." [H. 1., Vol. 4, p. 136.] _^^^^^^_^^_^___

No. 173. Motion to be moved by the Right Hon. Sir J. G. Ward at the Imperial Conference, London, 1911. That in the interests of the Empire it is desirable that Great Britain should be connected with Canada and, through Canada, with Australia and New Zealand by the best mail-service available. That, for the purpose of carrying the above desideratum into effect, a mail-service be established on the Pacific between Vancouver, Fiji, Auckland, and Sydney by first-class steamers of not less than 10,000 tons, and capable of performing the voyage at an average speed of 18 knots. That, in addition to this, a fast service be established between Canada and Great Britain, the necessary financial support required for both purposes to be contributed by Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand in equitable proportions. [Vane. Mieo. 11/49.]

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