AUSTRALIAN POLITICS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8003, 14 December 1905, Page 2

AUSTRALIAN POLITICS.

0 ANTI-TRUST LEGISLATION. Received, 13,11,3 p.m. Memoctrne, December 13. Sir W. Lyne in mo> lug the second reading of the Anti-T-'ust B : ll said : " Every effort should be made to preserve or - industries, and if a justification was needed for in -reducing ,the Bill it was found in tho experience of the United States rda.ive to the operation of Tiusts. He quoted from an American Stock Journal to show that the systom adopted by the Harvester Trust was to crash opposition. There was on urgent necessity to do something to cope with the Harvcstor Trust when it|was foind that a foreign firm was dumping goods into Australia for the express pi--pose of killing local in dustries. It was time something wa done, and anyone who i l; d not tako action was not worthy of the name of •'Austr v an," but ought to be called " Lit le Australians."

Under the Bill a Trust was not a Prm or an individual. There had been a combination of Shipping Companies, but these would not be affected unless they joined in a monopoly with a joint Board to control the whole of their ships and direct what freight should bo charged, to the injury of the public. The Government did not wish anything to be done which would cause an internal monopoly, and increase prices. Alrea'y, owing to his action, the price of harvesters had been redveod.

The Bill, he said, only dealt with foreign and inter-State tyade, as that confined.to one State did not come within its scope. The interests of producers, workers, and consumers were all considered. It was necessary that persons should wiTally engage in a combination or monopolies before they were affected by the Bill, which he commended to every scotion of the community. On the motion of Mr Cook tho debate was adjournod until to-morrow. . I