PAUCITY OF EMPIRE NEWS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 2300, 9 July 1921, Page 3

PAUCITY OF EMPIRE NEWS.

* MR, MASSEY’S VIEWS

DRAWBACKS OF WIRELESS,

London, July 6

Mr Massey, speaking at the Conference on the subject of inter-im-perial communications, emphasised the paucity of Dominions nows in the British press, and declared that, it was inadequate for the purpose of educating the people of Britain on overseas matters. lie expressed the opinion also that it would be impracticable to conduct Imperial discussions with the Dominions or amongst the Dominions themselves by wireless telegraphy or telephony, because of the lack of secrecy, and the impossibility of satisfactorily conducting a discussion in code. Improvements in communications for a considerable time to come must be made upon the basis 1 of steamships, railways, and cabla communications. It was not practicable at present at all events to think of rapid communications with Australia or New Zealand by aero* piano in all seasons and weathers. Summer in the Northern Hemisphere was winter in the Southern.

MAIL SOURCE TOO SLOW

Mr Massey urged the necessity for boats with a minimum speed of sixteen knots for mails and passengers between New Zealand and Britain, via the Panama Canal. Such vessels would accomplish the journey under thirty days. Even if this arrangement required a subsidy, it ought to be done. The mail services were very bad, and had not improved since the war. He had expected better results from the Imperial Shipping Committee, but shipping freights were now so high that with lower prices in some instances' producers in New Zealand were receiving practically no profits. Mr Massey instanced the case of a recent shipper of beef to London, who sustained a loss of a half-penny per pound, after paying freights and expenses. It would be impossible to keep up the beef trade with England unless freights were reduced. Improved communications, whether by post, wireless, cable, or steamer, would help to strengthen the bonds of Empire, and were worthy of every encouragement. He saw no objection lo setting up a committee of representatives of the Empire to inquire regarding coinnmniealions, but unless something more was attempted than had been done in the past, it would not be worth the trouble.