POLITICAL.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXVIII, Issue 7950, 27 January 1906, Page 5

POLITICAL.

SOCIAL TO THE MEMBER FOR PAHIATUA. 'speech by the pkemier. THE IMPERIAL CONFERENCE QUESTION. EMPLOYERS ADVERSELY CRITICISED. DANGEROUS SHIPPING KINGS. i By Telegraph—Press Association. PAHIATUA, January 26. On the occasion of a social, tendered to Mr Ross, Member for Pahiatua, to-night, at which Messrs Hornsby and Hall, M's.H.P.., were, also, present, the Premier referred to the subject of the Imperial Conference, which was to have been held this year At the last conference of Prime Ministers, it was decided that conferences should be hold not later than every four years, and not less than three years. ' A memorandum was received from the Hon. Alfred Lyttelton, late Secretary of for the Colonies, asking for the views of Premiers on this matter, and the replies of Mr Deakin, the Federal Prime Minister, and himself, were to the effect that they were quite willing to attend the conference, but stating that it was desirable to bold the conference early in the year. Mr Lyttelton then suggested that in view of the dissolution of the Imperial Parliament (the conference should be postponed. The election of the new Government at Home had since rendered the postponement of the conference necessary. Mr Seddon said he bad received a comrnuoialion from Mr Deakiin, in December, to the effect that there wa<? no objection to the postponement, and, accordiuglj, at a meeting of the Cabinet, in Wellington, yesterday, it was decided that New Zealand, also, had no ob-. jeotion to the postponement of the oonference. Although this decision was not in accord with the decision of the previouo conference, it was in the interests of the colonies and the Motherland. The outcome of these conferences would, he believed, be the formation of ari Imperial Council, which wpuld be in touch with the people, and add to the strength nf the Empire. Many diffioutlies and dangers would be removed by the formation of such a Council. Referring to the proposed Labour and Industrial Parliament the Premier said that the Government had decided to abaudon it, and he adversely criticised the action of the Employers' Association regarding it. He deeply regretted that these Associations refused to meet the Labour Unions, but the Associations had weakened their case, and the moral effect would be that the people would have a much higher opinion of the Labour Unions, whose case would be strengthened. He deplored the attitude that certain Labour representatives had taken up in asking that their expenses should be paid by the Government, but this attitude was not indicative of the feelling of the workers generally. Referring to trade monopolies, the Premier said these were working silently, seoretly and surreptitiously against the interests of thrproducers of the colony. This was -a matter that would engage the attention of Parliament. There was, also, danger from shipping rings. The people of the colony were under the power of two or three companies, and when a new company entered into competition with these companies it was either driven out or absorbed by them. The freights from New Zealand were 33 per cent, mote than from Australia. Rather than allow the country to be under the power of monopolies the State would have to own steamers, and take its. own freight. (Applause).. He felt sure that farmers would support the Government in seeing that justice was done to the colony's produce at Home, and he concluded his speech amidst applause.