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Hokitika Guardian, 27 April 1922, Page 2

In South Africa’* problems Uib colour question looms lug, and it will be interesting to see whether anything eonies of the proposal to admit coloured workers to the Federation of Labour. Of every five people in South Africa one is a white and four are natives. Hitherto the rule has been that a coloured man must not do a white man’s work. In the Transvaal he has been debarred by statute from becoming a miner or an engineer. He may not take charge of a steam engine or a boiler, nor may he hold a blasting c'i-

tifiento. It is r.n unwritten la\V that no native shall he an artisan. Skilled labour is reserved for the European, as well as every position of responsibility in connection with the industries <f the country. The defects of this system are many and obvious, and the intelligent native has no chance of rising to any position of responsibility, or in which lie ean exercise skill and use the tools of craftsmen. In South Africa the ! white miner and unskilled labourer do practically no manual work, but are elevated to la* ‘‘trasses*’ ever gangs of natives. The whole arrangement is i n inheritance from the old Dutch days. It is hound to break down sooner oi later, though it is hard to see exactly what will replace it. tt does not appear from the cable message, however, that the present move is dictated by an interest in the welfare of the natives by the white workers. If the black man is admitted to the union it will be simply to facilitate the using of him by the white workers as a pawn in their contests with the mining companies

Dktatls of the proposed reciprocal tar. iff treaty between Australia and New Zealand will not l>e announced until the agreement recently arrived at by the respective Ministers for Customs of the two Dominions has received Parliamentary ratification in both countries. ‘ We have executed,” said Mr Rodgers (Federal Minister of Customs) ‘ “a formal tentative agreement on behalf of our Governments. Ratification of this agreement and of the schedule of items by the Parliament of each country now becomes necessary. It is therefore, impossible to disclose the terms of the treaty until it has been presented to the respective Governments. In the interests, however of the merchant community of each country, a separate agreement ;;ff?eting the transhipment of goods botwei n Australia and New Zealand has boon arranged, and is embodied in the main agreement in the following terms: ‘Goods imported into the Commonwealth and afterwards transhipped to the Dominion which, if they had been imported direct from the country of j origin to the Dominion, would ! !

been entitled to have been entered under the British preferential tariff in the Dominion, shall upon production of a certificate from the Customs Department of the Commonwealth, stating the country of origin of the goods and such of other information as is required, be entitled to be entered un* der the Britislf preferential tariff in the Dominion.’ Similar provision has been made,” added Mr Rodgers, “in respect to goods to be transhipped from New Zealand into the Commonwealth, This provision "’ill he welcomed by the trait.

ing community of both countries, because it will remove a trade barrier which lias prejudicially affected the trad 1 relations bet wen Australia and New Zealand, and caused much irritation in the past. Action is being taken to b: ing this pr-vision into operation. as from May 1.” Mr Rodgers ex- , plained that the negotiations had ini volved a complete overhaul of the tariff : schedules and regulations of the two j countries.