Te Aroha AND Ohinemuri News TE AROHA TIMES & WAIORONGOMAI ADVOCATE. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 1901 A SUBSIDISED STEAM SERVICE WANTED.

Te Aroha News, Volume XVI, Issue 22472, 5 December 1901, Page 2

Te Aroha AND Ohinemuri News TE AROHA TIMES & WAIORONGOMAI ADVOCATE. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 1901 A SUBSIDISED STEAM SERVICE WANTED.

There is no doubt, says the “ Dairyman,” that the signs of the times are such as to cause thoughtful men to consider whether we will be able to hold our own in the keen struggle for supremacy that isYgoihg on for tho best markets in the we bestir ourselves. It behoves us to look at what nations more favourably situated than we are 1 , are doing to develop trade. We read of attempts being made to build steamers swift enough to cross the Atlantic in three days. Wo lire informed that an American syndi* cite proposes to build immense stores in Britain, capable of holding a six month’s food supply for that nation. We have already learned of the great measure of success that has been achieved by the Russian Government in developing a dairy produce trade in England. Neither, can we afford to ignore the capabilities of the Argentine as a dairying country, . with its large area of fertile soil, its fine climate, unrestricted cheap labour, and comparative proximity to Great Britain. The indifference of our legislators to the gravity of the situation is positively traitorous. Something more is ex* pected from them than to talk glibly of the energy-of our. 'settlers, the unsurpassed fertility Of our soil, and our superb diniate.,'There» can be n<> doubt we are only courting disaster to let things.sltd':- ;1 mg in the preaunt slip shod fashion. Our attitude to our best customers is as if' we' were to say—“Ob, yes, we are producing a certain amount of produce, and if you want it you can pome and get it.” Other nations

not only produce but are alive to the ! necessity of getting: it quickly and cheaply to market. Let anyone reflect for a moment on the position of this colony, situated at the very opposite end of the earth from its market, nearly overwhelmed with debt, groaning under taxation, taking almost half the total earnings of the people to pay j interest on the public debt and pay the cost of Government. We may pause and ask what will be our condition if we lose the British market ? The only way we can possibly exist is by the sale of our agricultural and pastoral produce. Our pampered and protected manufactures are not worth taking in to consideration, contributing only s >ine £350,000 worth out of a total of something like £12,000,000. To shrewd business men it is hardly necessary to emphasise the value of a subsidised line of produce steamers. With our scattered colony, and our .fl uctuafcing amount of produce, we cannot expect private enterprise, unaided, provide space and to run at regular intervals, except at rates that would, at times, be prohibitive. We notice that some of our politiciays are advocating lines of Stateowned vessels, but it is? at 'least open to very grave doubt whether we ha\e not already gone far enough in the creation of groat State departments. The political patronages, and the demoralising effect of Government employment ou the individual, must ultimately have a detrimental effect on the colony. Already any person with ordinary perception cannot fail to discern that in several of the State departments the employees are masters of the situation. But, on the other hand, when we see a. country like America proposing to spend nine million annually in shipping subsidies, we are forced to the conclusion that it would pay us to act in a similar manner to strengthen our lines of communication with the best markets of the world, and, with regard to the proposal to give British manufactures a preference, authorities state that trade is after all only barter, and that there can be no stability in trade unless nations are prepared to buy as well as sell. It is hardly likely that we can successfully trade with Britain if we erect a wall of protective duties against her manufactures, and from a purely material point of view it must be to our interest to deal as far as our requirements go in British articles. We got the advantages that accrue from having vessels carrying cargo both way s and we assist to find employment for British workmen who will in return buy and consume our produce Looking at the matter from a sentimental standpoint, in giving a preference to the Mother Country we are assisting to build up and solidify the Empire, and add our quota to the advancement of the Auglo-Bax<m race. Students of philosophy tell us that the stamina of races in the future.is going to be m *re tried in stubborn commercial and industrial conflict than in the battlefield, aud in working out the inexorable law of nature, the “survival of the fittest,” the question for us to consider is where will we be ? We hope that, every member of tie Union throughout New Zealand will give the proposal set forth at the bead of this article his strongest support, so that we wiU come out—as we ever hope that Britons will—conquerors.