OTAGO STEAM SUBSIDY.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 211, 2 September 1873, Page 4

OTAGO STEAM SUBSIDY.

(Wellington Independent.) Mr Macandrew moved that this House will, to-morrow, resolve itself into a committee of the whole, to consider of an address to the Governor, to the effect that his Excellency may be pleased to place upon the supplementary estimates a sum of not exceeding £2,500, towards the establishment of regular steam communication between the east and west coasts of the Middle Island. He observed that owing to the absence of such communication it was the case that Victoria now derived more benefit from the trade of Westland than the rest of New Zealand did. The railway across the island was a work in which he believed. It would, however, lake some time. Mr Yogel recognised the importance of the trade being opened up, but doubted whether the matter should be dealt with by means of a colonial snbsidy. It was a principle that had always been held to that subsidies should be for mail purposes exclusively. The wants of Westland in that line were provided for. This would be exclusively for a commercial purpose. A strong case, however, could be made out in its favor if it could be shown that the Westland trade could not be saved to the colony in any other manner. He might suggest, however, that the hon member should endeavor to get the matter treated /as a provincial one. He would ask him not to press it. Mr O'Neill supported the motion. Mr Luckie said that Mr Macandrew seemed to think that there was no communication between Westland and the East Coast of the Middle Island. There was a little place called Nelson, where there were five steamers owned running to the West Coast ports. Mr Johnston said a company had just been formed in Wellington to run steamers to the West Coast. One had been bought, and four more would be. He trusted that tbe hon member would allow a portion of the subsidy to go to this company. Mr O'Conor would support the motion. The trade with Nelson was not very beneficial to the West Coast. It consisted mainly of transhipments from Melbourne. He did not think that the subsidy would be necessary for more than one year. Mr Shephard thought the matter would be best left to private enterprise. Mr Wood cited the instances of the Fiji service and the Waikato services as instances of services which were subsidised for commercial purposes, solely. He would support the motion. Mr Reid would support the motion. If it were carried he thought that Mr Macandrew might drop the resolution that he proposed to move for levying an import duty on Victorian exports. Mr Rolleston took a similar view. A positive measure of the kind was preferable to prehibitive one. Mr Fox said that the districts on the West Coast of the North Island largely supplied the West Coast of the Middle with produce, and was capable of supply, ing all its needs. It was surely very unfair to propose that a line should be subsidised which would take the trade away from them. If he would propose a bifurcated service he would support him. Mr Curtis said that it was surely a very unfair proposal on the part of the Canterbury and Otago to ask the colony to provide the funds for diverting the trade of one province to another. Nelson at present gave a subsidy to its West Coast service. Why should not Otago and Canterbury establish similar services for themselves. He hoped the motion would be rejected. If it were carried the result would be that they would soon have a host of conflicting applications of a similar character from all parts of the colony. Mr M'Glashan would ask the honorable member had Neleoa any flour or any manufactures to export. If not she could not supply the wants of Westland as Otago would supply them. The establishment of such a service would, moreover, lead to the establishment of settlements all along the southern part of the West Coast, In reply to Mr Collins, Mr Macandrew said that it was proposed that the service should go round the whole Island. Mr Tribe would support the motion. It must be borne in mind, he observed, that Nelson was not a producing district. Mr T. Kelly opposed the motion. Mr Hunter thought the views of those who opposed the motion were very narrowminded. He believed generally in the system of subsidising. He would support the motion and any other of a similar character. Mr Murray would support the motion on account of the benefits it would confer on "Westland. Mr Sbeehan thought the effect of the service would be to secure for the colony i a large amount of trade which now went to other colonies. Mr Mervyn supported the motion. Major Atkinson, though not at first prepared to support the service, would now do so. It was a matter of colonial concern. The resolution was carried on a division by 40 to 16.