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REPORT OF PROCEEDINGS OF THK CONFERENCE

Thk CHAIRMAN : 'The condition with regard to tinmail contract is a different thing. 'That is a subsidy from the State. Hon. W. M. HUGHES : 'This does not apply to subsidies granted by the Commonwealth or New Zealand in respect to services rendered to those States. Would you put this proviso in : " Provided that this rider docs n.U "apply to the subsidies granted for service: rendered to "the 'Commonwealth or New Zealand"? Thk CHAIRMAN : Ton might have endless provisos like that Sm WILLIAM LYNE: I would like Mr. Hughes to vote lor it as well as myself. I do not want a division. My wish is to have it'as originally intended. But in order to get it unanimous I want to give something, so it is clearly understood, as I said just now, that this restriction is not one detrimental to either Australia, New Zealand, or to Gnat Britain. 'That is what 1 want to In- clearly understood. Hon. W. M. HUGHES : It is well to be plain with I he Conference; there is no guarantee that the Australian Parliament will not restrict its coasting trade to those persons employing only while seamen. Mu. LLEWELLYN SMITH : That is your own coasting trade. 'Tin: CHAIRMAN: This is the British trade. This is an Imperial resolution, and that is why I think it is very important. Here r- a resolution proposed by Sir William Lyne which will have Imperial effect if it is to be carried, and therefore f think, if I may say so, that it would be very wise if you could see your way to make a tew verbal concessions of this sort, which would enable us to get a perfectly unanimous resolution, so as to cany all puts of the Empire along with us. I quite agree that with regard to your home- trade, the- Australian trade, you may do things which we- cannot possibly do here. I want yon to take into account the difficulties of our great international mercantile marine. Hon. W M. HUGHES: Would you put in ihat the resolution would not affect any right which Australia may have in regard to her own coasting trade? Thk CHAIRMAN : You do not want that. We do not propose to interfere- with that at all. This is an Imperial resolution, which is a very different thing. Hon. W. M. HUGHES: Il appears that because a thing is called an Imperial resolution one has to swallow it although it is most disagreeable both in odour, taste. and everything else. 'Thk CHAIRMAN : No. Y.m know perfectly well this is a resolution for our consumption, t<> put it quite bluntly. 'This is a hint to us. Sir William Lyne is not thinking about what is going to happen in Australia. He knows perfectly well thai you can legislate there as vou think proper. This is a hint to us that it is about time that we should encourage British sailors in British ships. We accept that, provided he will add those words. Mn. DUNLOP: W'c have swallowed some of your Colonial resolutions, and we- did not like them a bit. Thk CHAIRMAN : 'This is for our own shipping. 'The shipowners have gone- a very long way to meet you. It is an enormous thing for them to have accepted, even subject to these words, and I trust that Mr. Hughes will not be too insistent under these circumstances. Hon. W. M. HUGHES: I am thinking, without wishing to say anything at all against shipowners, thai the readiness with' which they have accepted makes one believe there is nothing at all in it. 'Thk CHAIRMAN : Oh, no. Last year they did accept a very important restriction, as Mr. Haveloek Wilson pointed out. Employment was restricted on British ships to those who can understand the English language-. That has an enormous practical effect, and the shipowners did not contest it. Hon. W. M. HUGHES : I do not wish at all to stand out against the matured opinion of others. All I wish to have is your statement that this is not to be regarded in any way as limiting our own rights.

Sik JOSEPH WARD : Everything that Mr. Hughes wants in the matter of mail contracts they can do ondei their own contracts, and we can all protect ourselves. The resolution, in the following form, was then carried unanimously : " That every possible encouragement "should be given by legislation or otherwise to the em- " ployment of British seamen on British ships, provided "that this resolution does not contemplate the imposition "of restrictive conditions." Mr. BELCHER : I move: "That this Conference- is "opposed to the employment of Lascars, Coolies, Chma- " men, or persons of any other alien race on any vessels "owned, registered, or chartered to trade in the Common "wealth or New Zealand." 1 think the resolution will commend itself to the Conference for the reasons tljat have been very ably advanced by Sir William Lyne. thai is. that we should not encourage the employment of per sons who will be of little use to us in the event of the Empire getting into serious trouble with another nation Th,- resolution just passed with regard to the employ ment of British seamen, or the encouragement of their employment, is a very good one. But I know of my own knowledge that the employment of persons mentioned iii my resolution is on the increase, and anything that can be dune to reduce their number, and Io eventually exclude' them altogether from British ships should in my opinion he given effect to. I do not think it can be saiel that these people are- employed because Britishers cannot he obtained. My own impression is that if the shipowners treated their men a little differently, making their con ditions a little better than (hey are. they would get a sufficient number of Britishers to man all the ships that are run by the British Empire. It has been said —whether it was said sincerely or not. I do not know- —it has been remarked hen- by one of the British shipowners thai it would be impossible to get a sufficient number of Britishers to man British ships. 'That is a statement which I can scarcely agree with. This resolution, as will he seen, confines the exclusion of Lascars, Coolies, and Chinamen from all vessels that an owned, registered, or chartered to trade in the Commonwealth or New Zealand. It is a well-known fact that in Australia there are a considerable number of vessels trading from Australia to Eastern ports, the shipowner practically deriving all his profits, from the trade that that ship does between the East and Australia. 1 contend that under these ciicum stances the people of the country Thk CHAIRMAN : I am sorry to interrupt you. I have a suggestion here that this affects India to such an extent that it would he epiite- necessary Ihat we should have the India Office represented. We cannot gel an India Office representative to-day. 'Therefore I propose that this should be postponed till to-morrow, when we can secure the attendance of an India Office represents tive, because it is very important that India should be represented here. Therefore I will pass on to the next resolution if you do not mind. Mn. BELCHER : Will you allow me i.. make a ,e_ remarks outside those individuals? 'Tin; CHAIRMAN : You cannot. It is Lascars which are of the most importance, and you cannot make one speech now and another tomorrow when the- representative of the India Office is here. Sou had better postpone ii till to-morrow. tin BELCHEH ; Very well, provided you will give me an opportunity. Tin. CHAIRMAN : Certainly. Sin JOSEPH WARD: I lino,. 'That the terms and "conditions of the bill of lading at present in general " use are iii many respects unsatisfactory lei shippers ami "consignees, and ihat in the interest of traders generally "it is desirable that the Board of 'Trade should publish a " form of bill of lading containing such reasonable- con "ditions as in its opinion are sufficient to safeguard the "rights of the shipper, shipowner, and consignee." 1 hope that the Conference will unanimously agree to this. It is a recommendation to the Board of Trade to endes vour to frame a model bill of lading. 'That would he done by them. I presume, after full investigation and inquiry. at which the shipowners would have the' opportunity of being consulted. But Ido know now that there is a great deal of feeling on the part of the people who are concerned outside of the shipowners with regard to the