AUSTEALASIAN FEDERATION.

Southland Times, 23 December 1868, Page 4

AUSTEALASIAN FEDERATION.

I-i has long heen acknowledged by leading politicians in New' Zealand and the Australian colonies that the time would j come when a federation should be I indispensible to the progress of I each colony. The great discrepancy in the tariffs of the various colonies has for a long period been a source of annoyance and irritation, and has prevented in a measure that friendly feel, ing and close relationship Which should exist between the different portions of the Australasian group. Two attempts have been made by the assembling of delegates from each colony to frame a reciprocity treaty — to lay the foundation of a future federation — with but little success. At the first conference the main question considered was immediately connected with the border duties dispute between Victoria, New South Wales, and South Australia, at which New Zealand was not represented. This resulted in little more than all parties agreeing as to the desirability of union and one tariff as far as intercolonial commerce was concerned, but as to the manner of securing that unanimity none were prepared to show, and although a mongrel sort of contract was made, it has proved totally inadequate to meet the end contemplated. The second conference had particular reference to the Panama Mail service, in which this colony figured most prominently. The result of its deliberations did not prove satisfactory. No two colonies agreed to the proposals made by the New Zealand delegates. Victoria refused to be a party to the contract, and the whole burden of establishing this mail service was left to New Zealand and New South "Wales. The invitation, however, to hold a third conference this time comes from the New Zealand G-overnment, and it has been favorably received by the different G-oyernments in . Australia. The ostensible object — the chief one at least — is to discuss the plan sketched out in the report of the Select Committee, on the tariff recently presented to the New Zealand Parliament, and if possible to adopt a system of inter-colonial free- trade without interfering with the general protective policy of Victoria. The * Argus,' in discussing the subject, points out that the difficulty to be overcome is the great difference in the amount of Customs taxation per head in the various colonies. This is unquestionably the first item of moment. "We find that the Customs taxation in South Australia is £1 3s 3d ; in Tasmania £1 5s 8d ; and in New Zealand £3 16s 9d. The writer shows that the difficulty is more apparant than real, and easy to be got over. He says : — " It has been found, not merely in these colonies but in almost every country, that spirits, wine, beer, tobacco, sugar, tea, and coffee, are more easily taxed than any other commodities, and that the duties on them furnish a steadier and larger customs revenue than has anywhere been obtained from other goods. In Great Britain, in 1867, out of a total customs revenue of £22,43_,775, no less than £21,396,083 was derived from the seven articles just named. A similar result, found in each of these colonies, as will be seen by the subjoined figures, which show the total customs revenue, the amount derived from the seven articles named, and the per centage of the entire revenue which these articles supply :— Total Cus- s _ (Per Cent. Toms Re- age of the venue. Whole. £ £ per cent. Victoria ... 1,388,218 959,241 960 New South Wales ... 783,338 579,920 74*0 South Australia. 206.543 146,781 70*5 Queensland. ... 283366 215,562 760 New Zealand.... 844.267 683,940 81*0 Thus from 70 to 80 per cent, of the customs revenue of each colony is derived from these seven articles. If, therefore, : there be no serious discrepancy in the * rate of consumption of these articles in '. the larger colonies, and if a uniform tariff i in regard to them can be agreed upon, three-fourths of the main difficulty in the way of a customs union will be got * over, and the remaining difficulty will 1 only relate to 25 per cent, of the revenue i each colony derives from customs." i The Conference is to be held in Sydney * in the early part of next year, and from I the tone of the press in the Australian \ Colonies it would appear that public i feeling is strongly in iavor of 1 the adoption of a uniform tariff, 1 and co-operation in all such <

m*sm*mMtik Undertakings ds are of general im* portance. The question of postage % the establishment of fl line of large steamers between Europe and the Australias, capable of bringing large numbers of immigrants at greatly reduced rates, and vastly increased comfort, will form matter for discussion. The latter subject is second to none in importance in this as well as the sister colonies. The project bat its origin k. Victoria, and the government of thai colony is so favorable to its being carried out that unless the other coloniei desire to participate in the benefits to arise* it will most likely undertake the enterprise single-handed. New Zealand is perhape more deeply interested iit the rest-It of the Conference than any other of tbt colonies. She wdnts imimgrants, afldft cheap and speedy system foT bringing them from the old country. Her Post*] Service, owing to the sudden stoppage of the Panama line, is disjointed, toi there are other matters which will b* brought under review of great motaest at the present time. It is to be hoped, therefore, that the Government, in selecting delegates, will wave all party feefing, and appoint the ablest and most cosmopo* lifcan statesmen in the colony.