The Daily News. THURSDAY, MAY 16. THE IMPERIAL CONFERENCE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 59, 16 May 1907, Page 2

The Daily News. THURSDAY, MAY 16. THE IMPERIAL CONFERENCE.

It is clear lliut llu- imperial Conference is U have some vitv definite results in imperial 111aIters, and to people in Ans trnlasia, llu* services of Sir ■ lii-.cpii Ward ami Jlr. Deakin, hotii of win>lll have battled and are hauling extremely Irani for reforms. must commend themselves as in the highest decree important. in the larger arena of Imperial politics it is convincingly apparent llut the men when the colonics have trusted with the highest positions in their gills are ail honor to Hie countries that sent Ilium t'orlh to do actual implacable hat I ,lt. against t'onservatism, and. we were ai- I most to write, retrogression. (in the vital question id' the future maintenance of sea power in Oceania the Commonwealth aml New Zealand Premiers agree to dill'er. Sir Joseph Ward is assured I'iat whatever aivangeincut.the Admiralty may malic for tin l protection of New Zealand and its dependencies are good arrangements, lie possibly fancies, ton. that now Australia is practically pledged, on the word of .Mr. I)'al:ia. to make ami maintain a navy oi iis own. Australia is so near to -Sew Zealand tint AusUatbn strength would be a safety to Xew Zealand. Naval ollicers of the Australasian squadron lately to refer to the squadron as hcing composed of -brown paper'' ships, and readcis of the News will remember that even when it was generally accepted that the Australasian squadron was an adequate lighting machine, we pointed out its anliquity, its liability to go away, and its absolute nselessnesss, considered ill the light of modern requirements.

As a matter of fad, we are definitely assured bv naval authorities that the. "brown paper" licet is shortly to become a thing of the past, and that New Zealand will he visited by a Hying squadron at such intervals as may be deemed sufficient for safety. 'The necessity of an Australian-owned navy, however, is a very real one, and Mr. Dcakin voiced the national sentiment when he plumped for a Commonwealth licet which would not prevent the proposed visits of really up-to-date, royal navy squadrons, aim which would be available as '•nurseries' for men who could be transferred to service elsewhere. The London press sees in the proposal of the Australian Contino.Kealth ''.•<; spirit of nationalisation, which is making for protection of her shores with a desire to foster industry. Australia (and for that matter New Zealand also) has splendid facilities for shipbuilding, and both countries luue proved time and lime again an ability of no mean order in shipbuilding. We have such faith in the future of Taranaki. and New riyiuouth particularly, that we prophecy that our port will some day be noted for its shipbuilding industry. The district has been web endowed by Nature in (lie matter of materials, which are at our very doors.

Mr. Deakin's motion to levy a duty of one per cent, on all foreign goods arriving at any port within the Kmpire, as was to be expected, met with much British opposition. For one thing it is in direct opposition to llrilain's freetradc policy. The idea to make the levy a fund for the expansion of Imperial trade is a statesmanlike one, and the opposition of Home statesman, apart from the freotiada aspect, is not easily understood, especially as all parts of the Kmpire -would share in the distribution of the fund. The proposal, if given effect to, would naturally help Britain as much as it would Australia. That sturdy democrat. Sir William Lyne, was approached by English commercial men who desired the duty to be removed on tiaeie catalogues. In bis spirit of nationalisation, Sir William declines to consider the proposal. The Australian attitude in regard t- the matter is that the distribution uf commercial literature is a handicap to Australian local commerce and to Australian production. Sir Wm. Line went further, and threatened to levy a duty on magazines (which are often three-parts advertisements,.

One of the unctions of vasl Impeliai interest is (he one of universal penny postage brought forward by Sir Joseph Ward. It w'ill be remembered that the Premier at. the International Postal Confciri.ee at Koine brilliantly foughi for ivduc'.ioii in postage, and made a strong point of (lie common charge of one pennj for letters all over the world. Tiie aoirimuii'ii of the principle at the Imperial Conference is hopeful, and if l.h" universal reduction in conceded, Sir .li.--i-l.li Ward will earn Hie thanks o, every... e win sees in a cheap postal system an educative and tr.iteniising ifillueiiee. rnqiicstionably such a system would mean bilge losses of revenue, but, as Ihe Premier pointed out. the Post Ollice should not be a -taxing machine.'' and. by the way, if it is possible (o instituii- a system of universal penny postage it is' possible, politic, and merely jn.-l, to establish a scheme of preference that would make things even more necessary than letters a great deal cheaper.

Tin' concession agreed lo bv the Chan iL-llor ol' th,! Kxclicquer wherobv Australia will mini silver as well a's gold, is very inijii.vtiint. I'm- silver is parliclllarlv cheap in Australia, an,l (lie lluctmil ion's of (lie market would l"i-i-< f nt-ii 11;,' permit of largo prolits in colonial coinage. Sir •loseph Ward asked fur a similar onessinii. which was granted, but ilie fact that we. (In not mint coin at all in Xew Zealand shoes tlmt ilia Premier \va< tenia!ive. and probably lias some scheme whereby Xew Zealand may in the fudne literally "make money." In this connection it is almost a pity that Britain is so wedded to its present cumbrous currency as to refuse to entertain a change to the decimal system, which would entirely revolutionise and simplify our commercial methods.

Although the proceedings of (lie Conference hav not been fuHv reported, it is cabled (bat a report of the entire pro ccedings will be published. "Necessan revisions and omissions" is bail. There shouiii be no revisions or omissions. Morally the Umpire is entitled to know exact I v what is said and .lone bv its servants, however exalted those servants may be. Many things have been don., at the Conference that will have marked hilliicnce on our relations with our fellow colonists and the llniue. land. Tli.> permanent "secretariat" will bridge th' gap l.etween the Conference, anil it is reasonably hoped that as a result this meet in"' of the leading statesmen of the Empire a honest understanding nor/ exist l.etween all portions of the King's domain:-. The honors that have been given to colonial statesmen is a kind of recognition of their abilitv, and crtainlv a sign of sympathy for the old laud bv I lie new one.