The Feilding Star. Oroua & Kiwitea Counties Gazette. Published Daily. TUESDAY, FEB. '26, 1895. RECIPROCITY.

Feilding Star, Volume XVI, Issue 203, 26 February 1895, Page 2

The Feilding Star. Oroua & Kiwitea Counties Gazette. Published Daily. TUESDAY, FEB. '26, 1895. RECIPROCITY.

Ot:: readers wi 1 doubtless have obs. rvcfi hy th* telegrams on tbe subj ni tiie ftTHt-.s of thin colony have re- ■ :ivei rrom " the other side," thatthe igrHenient or troaty which our Colonial Treasurer concluded with ;he Government of ISouth Australia just before he left for England, had not iroused enthusiasm among mercantile •«n Our contemporary the New Zea«nd Trade Review whose opinions on matters of this kind are entitled to the v most respect, - oints out that under the provisions of the treaty we should exdiauge free from duty our oats, h >ps, barley, and horses, for the wine, -alt, olive oil and fruit (fresb and dried) of South Australia. As far as wo can learn at present it does not appear likely that any great result would be achieved if it were ratified, and unless it was regarded as a lever to move the other Colonies it is questionable whether it was worth entering into. The tunst objectionable feature of the biihiaGps ie the provision that neither aide shall grant similar concessions to any other Colony during the currency of the treaty. This may be meant as an inceotive to the other colonies, and as it has been stated that the arrangement is looked upon as a first instalment of freetrade, the suggestion ap. pears to he probable. Our busiuess relations with Victoria and New South Wales bave always been far more im* portant than those with South Australia, and if the present movement were to give these offence it would do more harm than good. If it is true, as stated that proposals of a similar character had first been submitted to Victoria and New South Wales and rejected they. would be deprived of excuse for taking offence, though they might do so all the same. There i§ } however, a wade: spread expectation tbat q^ account of the clauses excluding other Colonies the arrangement will not receive the sanction of the Imperial Government, and as tfc :e #£ole agreement . is subject to relocation by oae year's jtot^e from either side the wisdom of j j jnoertmg ap^#tion^ excluding ;

other colonies, is not very apparent. On the point of Victoria or New South Wales " taking offence " at any action of New Zealand being of consequence, we hold it to be a matter of indifference. The subject is not one of sentiment but of pounds, shillings, and pence. So far we certainly approve of what has been done and trust that before many years have passed that reciprocity in the free exchange of products will obtain among the whole of the Australian colonies and New ZeaI land. _____________