THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 1907. THE ALL-RED ROUTE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8524, 30 August 1907, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 1907. THE ALL-RED ROUTE.

A prominent Opposition journal in 'London, referring to the original rumour of the abandonment of the AllRed route, says: — "We sincerely trust that the rumour has no foundation. For if it proved true the position would be that for the time being the Government of the Mother Country had slammed the door not only upon preferential trade, but also upon the only other means to closer Imperial union, which has the unanimous approval of the younger nations. Bjeyond the seas the improvement of maritime communications, in the form of steamship and telegaph services, has always ranked next to preferential trade, as the most practical means of increasing the economic solidarity of the Empire. . ~

. . At the recent Conference Sir Wilfrid Laurier found an eager ally in Sir Joseph Ward, the Premier of New Zealand. Together they put forward a comprehensive plan, which Australia also promised to support. The new proposal was that all the British Governments concerned should combine to establish a new and accelerated service by way of Halifax or Montreal and Vancouver and thence via Fiji to Auckland, reducing the time to Auckland from four weeks to three. . . . If the

scheme is to be negatived a unique opportunity will have passed away. It so happened that the New Zealard contract with the American company had lapsed just before the Conference, and that the Australian Commonwealth was also in the position of having to make fresh arrangements for a mail service to Europe. Sir Joseph Ward announced his determi nation tp pay as much as £IOO,OOO a year for the new service, as compared with £20,000 hitherto paid under the American contract. But he explained that time was pressing, and that if the All-Red scheme fell through the American service would have to be renewed for a £urther term. Sir Wilfrid Laurier declared that his Government would'not be behind any of the others i:i finding the necessary money. Mr Deakin admitted the interest of Australia in the new mail service, assuming that it would be quicker than the preser.t service through the Suez Canal. But already the Commonwealth Government is calling for new tenders, while I

New Zealand is experiencing serious disabilities." Another journal, the London Globe, remarks that it favours the idea., "not because we consider the results are ever likely to bring about colonial preference in its entirety, but because we recognise that it is, at least, a slight recognition on the part of His Majesty's Government that the colonies do exist, and are deserving of some little consideration." The objection raised to the scheme is that it is "contrary to the principles of freetrade." It is the usual thing now for any proposed new departure which does not suit the party in power to be described as "contrary to-the principles of freetrade."