THE COMMONWEALTH TARIFF

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 16 October 1901, Page 4

THE COMMONWEALTH TARIFF

(pan pbess association),

Mr Seddon asks for Suggestions.

Wellington This Day,

The Premier has sent the following telegram to the leading Chambers of Commerce in the Colony. “The Tariff brought down by the Federal Government is one which must have an important bearing upon producers and the export trade of New Zealand, and the matter is of such importance to the colony as a whole that Government are now considering what steps, if any; is desirable to adopt in order to protect the trade of the Colony which, as a result of the high tariff imposed, particularly against New Zealand, will to some extent be affected. I shall be glad if you will kindly confer with members of your Chamber, and favor Government with an expression of your views upon the abored position and what effect you think the Federal tariff will have upon producers and the export trade of the colony, I shall be glad if you kindly favour me with any suggestions dr proposals you may have in connection therewith before the matter is finally dealt with by the Cabinet.” Hon Mr Seddon also sent the following telegram to the principal sawmill proprietors in the Colony. “The Federal Tariff proposes to make very important alterations in the duty on New Zealand timber imported into Australia. As the matter is very important to the timber industry of this Colony, I shall be exceedingly glad if you can make it convenient to meet in Wellington in conference for the purpose of considering the matter. lam asking various,sawmill proprietors in the Colony to meet together as Government contemplates taking sucli action as may seem most advisable to protect sawmilling interests. Kindly confer with other sawmill proprietors in your district and appoint delegates and state the time that it would be convenient for you to attend the conference.

In receipt of your reply I shall telegraph further, suggesting the date on which the conference should take place. It will require to bo at an early date.” Mklbourne, This Day. The agent for the Government of .Fiji and New Guinea in a letter to the Herald, points out that the Federal tariff threatens to seriously cripple Sydney’s trade with these islands. The proposed duty on bananas is practically prohibitive, while the duties on sugar, maize, pine apples, cocoanuts and other products, will certainly as far aS Fiji is concerned drive the trade to New Zealand. He suggests that in order to preserve the trade here, South Sea Islands products, sugar excepted, should be admitted free. He prophesies that it is only a question of time when all the Islands will become dependencies of the Commonwealth.

No-Confidence Debate Sydney, Cct. 15,

Mr G. H. Reid moved his vote of censure to a packed House. It condemns the tariff on the ground that it will press upon the necessaries of life and the appliances used in the farming, mining, and pastoral industries more heavily than upon luxuries, and destroy the stability of the revenue by making the imports for national purposes a source of undue profits to a few favoured industries at the expenses of the whole community.

His indictment of the tariff was that it had no mark upon it in favor of the pioneers of tho country, but instead introduced a deformity to benefit the artificial at tho cost of the pioneer industries. Australia was made a preserve for the great manufacturing centres of Sydney and Melbourne. It was a red-hot protectionist policy, and a fraud upon the people of Australia, and if adopted would place the finances of the Commonwealth on an unsound and extravagant basis. Whatever might bo the fate of the motion he was sure tho free list would not bo allowed to remain in its present unsatisfactory state. Mr Barton, in replying to Mr Eeid, said that -he had not shown any way in which" the Government policy was bad. It was" not claimed to be a perfect tariff, but, it entirely fulfilled tho promises made by him at Maitland.