Rambles Through the British Empire

Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen,--I am very pleased to be here today with you and to have the opportunity of doing what I can to amuse you for half an hour by a little account of my rambles through the British Empire. I suppose the Empire Club idea means that we are all under one flag, doing as much as we can for one another. About six years ago I was appointed by the New Zealand Government to represent them all over the world, looking up over-sea markets. My first move was to visit South Africa, where I pushed our business, and was very well received. The merchants there promised to do as much as they could in the way of buying their goods from British colonies. The results of my trip to South Africa were very satisfactory, and my country subsidized lines of steamers between New Zealand and South Africa to the extent of 30,000 pounds a year.

From there, I went to England, where I was received right royally, and had an excellent welcome from all the merchants. I arrived there just after our young colonials had performed some gallant deeds in arms for the Empire. When I was announced as a New Zealander, I was enthusiastically received. It was a good introduction there, and we talked for a while, of course, about great deeds done by our boys, but I was there after business. I travelled around London, Manchester, Glasgow, and Bristol, and got the impression that there was a great market for our goods, especially in the west part of England. I requested my Government to ship goods to those ports, which they have done. They have subsidized steamers, which now go direct from New Zealand to the west parts of England.

It is all right to talk about the glorious deeds done in Africa by our colonials, but when you commence to talk business to the people it sometimes sets them back into the shell again. They say, "Well, that is all right enough, but we can get stuff from Russia, Germany, or France cheaper than from New Zealand." I was in Hull when a lot of butter arrived from Siberia. I found that the Russian Government subsidized steamers for a four clays' journey, paying twenty thousand pounds, and competing against the sons of the Empire. I said, "I think, gentlemen, that it would be, only fair for the British Government to put a tax on those goods, equal to the subsidy, so that we could compete on equal terms." We were handicapped by six weeks freight to England, and competing against nations which were subsidized. I think it is only fair to make the Russians compete on the same level with us, put a tax on them, equal to the subsidy received from their Government.

In Lancashire, the great free trade part of England, I commenced to talk preferential tariffs, etc.--and I may say that I was trained and educated under our grand old premier, Dick Seddon.* When there, I commenced to talk about Great Britain doing something for the Colonies. I said that we could grow wheat to supply the world, and if we were sure of our market would commence to cultivate more land: but when you spoke to them of trying to give us a little fiscal advantage, they said: " No, you will never get any leading members of the English Government to adopt these views, protection is a thing of the past, and you should never mention such a thing in this country. . Well, gentlemen, two years after that, what happened? Why, one of the greatest and brightest brains in the British Empire took up the views that I was then advocating through England. The Rt. Hon. Joseph Chamberlain adopted them, and it is said that the men

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* NOTE-Rt. Hon. R. J. Seddon, who died not long after the delivery of this speech.

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who converted Joseph Chamberlain to these views were your Sir Wilfrid Laurier and Dick Seddon. After finishing my work in England, I received a message to proceed through Canada to Hong Kong. I did so. I passed through this country six years ago. I dropped off at Toronto for a day, went on to Winnipeg and to Vancouver, and then to Hong Kong. I found all the people there very loyal to the British flag. Hong Kong has a magnificent harbour, where you will see the fleets of all nations. They are a very enthusiastic crowd of Britishers there, and they sent their small contingent to Africa just as we did.

England may be still doing a large volume of trade--she must be by report-but she is not doing as much as she ought. Foreign nations are coming in with cheap freights which the English are not able to get because the other nations subsidize their boats. From Sydney you can get goods carried to Manilla and Hong Kong very cheaply. It is now time for Britain to look round and see how she can defend herself against these countries. British ships going into any American ports do not get the same accommodation as other vessels. In New Zealand, we have passed a Bill, two years ago, putting Americans, Germans, and other foreign nations all on the same footing. At one time steamers came from New York loaded with kerosene. They were going to deliver part of their cargo at Dunedin, part at Lyttelton, part at Wellington, and at Auckland, and while in these ports they immediately advertised a cheap freight outward to fill up their boats. On our New Zealand boats the usual freight is 15 shillings a ton to Dunedin and to Wellington. The American boats would advertise freight for 7 shillings 6 pence so as to fill up their cargoes. Seddon, who is a true Imperialist, said, " We must treat these people as they treat the British Empire," and he passed a Bill which enacted that these ships could come and deliver their goods and then pack up and go. No freight is allowed to be given them, and I think if other parts of the British Empire would treat foreigners as we did, then they would come to some terms with us.

At Shanghai, I was very well received, and found them very willing to have a preferential tariff with us, and to do all they could to improve business connections with us in every way. I went from Singapore to Penang, India. While there, I had a talk with business people about the preferential tariff, etc. These countries, as you know, export a lot of tea, and we allow teas from the British Empire to enter our country free, from Ceylon and India. From China, they must pay two pence a pound. This we have done to keep us in touch with the Empire. When in India, the war was still being talked of. It was stated in the papers that I was there, and several gentlemen who have fought and bled under the flag came to shake -hands with me, because they had met so many New Zealanders in Africa. Speaking about loyalty, I think we British could get a great lesson from the Japanese. I have been twice in Japan, and met many of their officers, and Members of Parliament. The Japs are very loyal to their country and their Emperor. They are far more honoured to be left on the battlefield than returning home to receive the welcome of their brothers.

At the same time, the Japs are worth watching. I think, from a business point of view, they are morally the lowest in the world. The business men in Japan belong to the lowest grade. The Chinese get the name of being the straightest business men in the world. Their word is as good as their bond. When Japan was having trouble forty or fifty years ago, the merchants were the cowards of their country. They would not fight, but went down to the cities and became buyers and sellers, and they still remain the lowest grade in Japan. Now that they are doing business with the great Western nations, it is hoped that men of a higher caste may become merchants and try to purify the name there, and become straight merchants. You cannot trust them now, however. The silks, once sold by the yard, are now sold by weight. I saw a large order being packed up for a London house. I noticed several of the employees examining and measuring some underwear, casting some articles to one side and some to the other. I said to the merchant, "What does this mean?" He replied, "We have to measure everything, or they will cheat us, two inches on the chest or as much on the length." Fifty dozen were cast on one side to be returned. They are not fond of the British merchants there. The first time I was in Japan, tobacco was very cheap. I am a heavy smoker, and on my next trip was looking forward to getting cheap tobacco. I asked for a quarter of a pound of capstick, but found it was very much dearer then. A 250 percent war-tax was levied on all tobaccos used by the foreigners. The Japs used to import flour from America and Canada. Now they have built large mills through Japan. They are going to import the wheat and grind it themselves, so as to keep their men in work.

I returned after being all round the East. Got back to New Zealand, and was told by the Minister of Commerce that I was to return to London. I was very much pleased, as my wife and family were there. The Premier, however, brought the matter up in Council, and said, "I don't see why we should send Gow back to London. He has recommended that we spend thirty thousand pounds on steamers to Africa, and I recommend that he go to that country and see that the thing is properly carried through." In Africa I found a lot of opposition, from South America, in the way of mutton, butter, etc. Their mutton was a little cheaper than the mutton from the Colonies. I wondered to myself, "How can we upset this little game?" because I had to get business, as I was responsible for that thirty thousand pounds. I interviewed the Governors and Premiers and Members of Parliament. They asked me what I was after. I said, "The penny duty has been suspended during the time of the war. Now, you had better reinstate that tax on certain products." With a lot of talk and conversation they agreed that they would reinstate that penny a pound. Then I asked for a preferential tariff for New Zealand. "Let us get our beef and mutton in for a half-penny a pound."

From there, I wandered up to Johannesburg and Pretoria, had an interview with Lord Milner and others. We talked the matter over for two or three hours. Lord Milner said, "I quite agree with you. I am anxious to assist you, but, Mr. Gow," he said, "I am afraid that I cannot do it. The Transvaal is a very expensive country to live in. When you propose to put a penny a pound on their beef and mutton, there will be a great outcry. And, really, we must keep quiet." I had seen Jameson, the Premier of Cape Town, and his Cabinet. He had agreed with me, so before I parted with Lord Milner, I said to him, "Well, I must say that I am going to get my way." The other Colonies agreed with me; three of the five provinces or states of British Africa. So, when they met two years afterwards to re-arrange their customs, this plan that I proposed to those Premiers came before them, and six months ago, it was carried. Now we have a preferential tariff between South Africa and the Colonies, and I would like to add, that if Dick Seddon had made up his mind it was a right thing to do, he would have done it and carried it.

I came back to England again. In England, there are many young men who apparently have to make up their minds as to whether they shall go into the Army or Navy, or the Church; or whether they will become politicians. I think the men who decide to be politicians should travel all over the British Empire, for two or three years, then, on going home, they would know something of the Colonies and their needs. Seven or eight years ago, in Samoa, there was a great tempest. At that time England, America, and Germany had the same rights for their ships to lie in the harbour of Samoa. There was a bit of fighting done there. Mr. Seddon, at that time, was anxious to send some volunteers to assist our bluejackets, but having the cables now, he had to apply for permission, and the plan was objected to. When the question of Samoa came up at home, Great Britain gave up our rights, and a British steamer is not allowed now to lie there. Samoa is given over to Germany in exchange for some little island, of which we know nothing. Seddon was very much annoyed when his advice was not taken. At that time, he was not very well, and he announced to the people of New Zealand that he was going away for his health. He was away for six weeks, lost to the world. He went, gentlemen, and annexed nine or ten islands in the Pacific. He said, "If Britain cannot look after herself, we must do it for her." He arranged for these nine or ten islands, and six months afterwards he sent over and planted our flag upon them, and now, we have harbours there, where the British battleships can lie within a day of Samoa.

I think that Britain ought to recognize the Colonies, and have Colonial representatives in England or in Britain to advise them what they ought to do. I think it is time for this. We know that the sons from the Colonies are quite able to fight alongside of the Englishmen, and the New Zealanders and Canadians can go to Bisley and win the cups from them, and I see no reason why such advice would not be very valuable. In Tokio, Japan, about a year ago, I was invited to a club to dinner by the editor and sub-editor of one of the Engish papers there. Of course, the proprietor was a Japanese. I enjoyed the dinner all right, and afterwards we were sitting alongside a fire, when up jumps the little Jap. He looked me over and said, "Do you know the dream of the Japanese?" I said, "NO." "Well," he said, "we are going to have Hong Kong and the Philippines; from the Philippines we are going right down the Pacific, and we are going to have Australia and New Zealand." I thought it was up to me, so I looked him up and down (he looked like a little bantam), and said to him, "I belong to New Zealand. We have just annexed twelve islands in the Pacific. We are going to work up gradually and take in New Britain, New Guinea, Hong Kong, and finish up by annexing Japan." He could not stand me, and went away. One thing which I am surprised at now is the fear which many people have of the Yellow races. How many subjects have we got anyway? Between three and four hundred million, and why should we not use the blacks. If the English in the Boer War had accepted men such as the Maories, who offered their services at their own expense, the war would have been much shorter; but we could not accept their aid owing to their colour; and if, in that war, they had given Canadians and the Colonials a free hand to go right through South Africa, then they might have finished the war in a year. War is a serious thing, so hit hard and finish it as quickly as possible. I believe the Boers were afraid of the over-sea men. The men who struck most terror into the Boers were the Strathcona's. I consider that the Colonials are grown up. I do not see why England should look upon us as youngsters. We have privileges which they do not have in England. Our schools are better, and the boys remain longer at school. I do not see why they should not develop as good, if not better, brains than they do in England. I think it is up to Great Britain to take some of our bright men once or twice a year as an advisory board for the British Empire. Well, gentlemen, if you have any questions, I shall be most happy to answer them now or to meet you after the meeting and have a chat about my country. Of course, you have got a great country here, and I like Canadians who are proud of being Canadians; still, while you have a great country, I represent a wonderful little country, New Zealand. We export more per head than any other part of the British Empire, and our country, per head, is the richest country in the British Empire. We were the first to send troops to Africa, and we sent more, according to population, than any other part of the British Empire.