THE IMPERIAL CONFERENCE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8440, 13 May 1907, Page 5

THE IMPERIAL CONFERENCE.

I LONDON, May 10. At the Imperial Conference, Dr. Jameson moved on behalf of Cape Colony—"That this |conference is of opinion that shareholders, resident in British colonies, of companies which are already liable |to colonial income tax payments, should be exempted from similar taxation in the United Kingdom, and strongly urges His Majesty's Government to adopt, at the earliest possible date, the legislation necessary to give effect to such exemption.'' Mr Asquith, Chancellor of the Exchequer, said it was impossible to alter the present British system. The change proposed would sap the whole basis of the existing system.

On behalf of the.„Commori wealth of Australia, Mr Deakin moved the following resolution:—"That in view of the probable completion of the Panama Canal, it is desirable that all possible means of strengthening British interests in the Pacific should be adopted."

' Referring to the Islands of the Pacific, Mr Deakin sketched the history of the subject for 25 years. He denied that Australia was greedily grasping after- territory.j He said that Australia steadily resisted the 7 loss of islands in the Pacific, some of which had been actually included in the British dominions. Australia from the first had urged that the islands should be brought definitely under British jurisdiction, but the Colonial Office's remote and unsympathetic attitude allowed numbers of them to slip through . their fingers. Mr Deakin traced the proceedings in connection with the New Hebrides Convention step by step. He referred to the reply made by Mr Churchill (Under-Secretary to the Colonies) to a question in the House of Commons, as utterly j He mercilessly analysed the Colonial i Office's policy in affirming the convention behind the backs of Australia and New Zealand, without their being either represented or consulted. He referred to the-, effect the completion of the Panama Canal would have upon the future of the, Pacific. j Sir Joseph Ward concurred in the resolution. He reviewed the loss of Samoa, declaring that America and Germany would not have occupied their present position Had New Zealand's advicy ,jeen takon. He explained that New Zealand now controlled a considerable number of the Pacific islanu-, and-was keenly alive to the importance of the British Government taking a warmer interest in cue protection of Jiritish interests in t.:e Pacific, Which was becoming a much busier ocean- than was previously expected. The deI velopment of trade between Canada and Australasia was increasing yearly. ! The completion of the Panama Canal | would alter 1 the whole face of the Pacific. Sir Joseph Ward insisted on , Australia's and New Zealand's right of being consulted before the conclusion of conventions relating to the Pacific, because they alone were aware of the special conditions and circumstances importantly affecting the questions. The resolutions were recorded after Lord Elgin, Secretary of State for the Colonies, has expressed his regret at the misunderstanding in connection with the New Hebrides Convention. He hoped that nothing of the sort would occur in future. The Conference passed the following resolution, moved by Dr. Jameso.i, on behalf of Cape Colony:—" (1) That, in the opinion of this conference, tne provision of alternative routes of cable communication is desira*ble; but in deciding-upon such routes the question of strategic advantage should receive the fullest consideration. (2) That landing licenses should not operate for a longer period than twenty years, and that when subsidies are agreed to be paid they should be arranged on the 'standard revenue' principle —that is, half the receipts after a fixed gross revenue has been earned, to be ised for the extinguishment of the subsidy and, by agreement, for the reduction of rates."