GEORGE EDGECUMBE, Proprietor. THURSDAY, JULY 20, 1899.

Waikato Argus, Volume VII, Issue 463, 20 July 1899, Page 2

GEORGE EDGECUMBE, Proprietor. THURSDAY, JULY 20, 1899.

By our Parliamentary report it will be seen that a committee has been set up to report as to the best means of promoting the commerce of the colony and the sale of the colony's products in markets other than those at present obtainable. The tendency in New Zealand at the present time is towards the belief that Parliament and tha Government of the day should meddle in all matters, regardless altogether as to their fitness for the duties sought to be thrust upon them. The extension of trade with South Africa, judging by the remarks of members, is the primary reason of the setting up of the committee, We recognise that useful service may be rendered to traders by Government by the collation of accurate information of the requirements of other countries and the probability of placing New Zealand produce within their borders. It may abo become the function of the Government to reciprocate in tho way of Customs facilities. The trade of the British Empire has been built up by the courage, enterprise and capacity of her merchants. They have be»n the pioneers of settlement and the vastness of the dominion of Her Majesty is very largely due to them. They have been generally found putting pressure upon the Government to hoist the British flag on many shores ; trade has quite as often preceded the flag as the flag trade. It was an unfortunate remark dropped by tho Premier, that unless the Union Company supplied shipping facilities with the Cape, the Government would have to take the matter up. There is only one way that Government could interfere, and that would be to subsidise a line of vessels, this would be a departure from the recognised principle that subsidies should only be granted for the establishment or improvement of mail communication, as the primary reason. The Premier claimed for the Government and himself in particular, that the action taken by him had led to the reduction of freight on wool and frozen meat. When the matter came to be investigated, it was found that the enterprise of the shipping companies, and the competition between them had brought the reduction about before the Premier appeared on the scene. He stood in fact in the matter very much in the position which the fly did on the bull's horn—the companies were unconscious that he had taken a hand in tho game. But a text for platform bunkum must be invented if it does not exist. We trust that tnero will be no meddling in this business. It may be confidently relied upon that if there is a profitable trade to be done with South Afrioa or any other part of the world, there will be no lack of vessels to prosecute it or of merchants to provide the freight.