IMPERIAL CONFERENCE.

Hokitika Guardian, 19 October 1923, Page 2

IMPERIAL CONFERENCE.

AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION. EMPIRE COMMUNICATIONS. LONDON, Oct. 18. Sir H. Mackinder, speaking at the Economic Conference, said that four days could lie saved on the Australian voyage by using airships to Egypt, and two days on the Indian Ocean by speeding up steamships one day at Fremantle, and a little time on the transcontinental journey. This would lie a better scheme than paying a subsidy for a special service of steamers in the opinion of the Imperial Shipping Committee. Sir 11. Mackinder detailed the methods whereby the Imperial Shipping Committee had iter-muled the Commonwealth Government and the Conference line to abandon their quarrel. 110 had received a joint letter from Messrs Kenneth, Anderson and Eva. that the adoption of a system of rebates or agreements was working satisfactorily. Over eight hundred firms had signed the agreement-, which was being amended to meet the wishes of the Merchants Association. There were fifteen liundred firms shipping in the Australian trade. .Sir H. .Mackinder hoped Air Brine and Mr Alassev would meet tho representatives of the Chamber of •Shipping and discuss the question of light dues, port charges, pilotage, and quarantine expenses. He said that very small profits were being made by British shipping to-dav, so the question of levying income tax on shipping throughout the Empire was most important. The Shipping Committee wa* also drafting its conclusions upon the methods of assessment, which it \v:.s hoped tho Dominion Premiers would consider.

WEEK OFF HOME TRIP. LONDON, Oct. 18 In a statement at the Economic ( on fere nee, regarding the work of the lie poria! Shipping ('oiniiiittee, Sir if. M inlander said they anticipated early volopnu'iits in a scheme for combiner air, sea and land commitment ion shortening the journey to Australia by a week. CONFERENCE ACTIN' ITIES. LONDON, Oct. i 7 Tho Dominion Premiers were unit impressed by Colonel Amcvy’.s speech on Imperial naval defence. The Economic Conference met- in ibe afternoon and also the committee t 1 tlu* Imoerial Conference on the administration oi the New Hebrides, at which Mr Bruce and Mr Massey were present in addition to Imperial officials. At tlie Economic Conference on (he subject- of inter-Empire reciprocity in workers’ compensation, the matter "as referred to a select committee.

Mr -Massey, complaining of ina.l delays between Now Zealand and Britain, and vice versa, said that recently lie had accomplished the journey in twenty-seven and a half travelling days, whereas the mails rarely travelled at under thirty-five and often took forty days. He believed that the delays wore chiefly at the points of coaling. SPEECH KEPT SECRET. LONDON, \let. 17. Contrary to expectations, Colonel Amery’s conference speech is not being published.