FEDERAL POLITICS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 81854, 29 September 1906, Page 3

FEDERAL POLITICS.

LATEST CABLE NEWS.

UNITED HISS ASSOCIATION -r.V ILKCTKIC TELEOBU'J. —COPYRIGHT.

THE DEFENCE PROPOSALS.

MiLiiorsst, September 28.

The Federal elections cannot be held before the end of November or the fint week in December.

The House of Representatives had a continuous sitting of over thirty-live hoars discussing the Estimates. Mr Deakin, in explaining the defence ).oliej, aud referring 10 the 1111perul Defence Committee's proposed scheme, said it involved an outlay of £627,000, waich, added tn £'S35, jijii proposed for the military, brought the total to £1,650,000, including a £2OO, 000 naval subsidy. That was altogether outside the country's means. Mr Deakio, continuing, said the Government were unable to adopt the Committee's full scheme, but in the immediate future they recommend the establishment of harbor and coastal defence, not adopting the programme recommended for live or ten vears. They would commence with ordering four torpedo boats, and next a eiasf of coastal destroyers, of which they propose to order eight in three years. With these they would have gone a long way towards complete harbor defence. In the next three years they would be able to pass from harbor to coast defence, and in six or seven years the whole scheme would be completed and should afford admirable defence He esiimatdd the ccst at £'540,000 annually. ANTI-GAMBLING POWtfiS. Beccned 28, 10.8 p.m. Melbocbxe, September 28. In the House of .Representatives a Bill giving the Postmaster-General power to cut off telephones from places used for immoral or gambling purposes, passed to the committee stage.

BECIPBOCITY WITH SOUTH AFEICA.

Received 2cjth, 12.48 a.m. Melbourne. September. 2S.

Mr Deakin announced that the Reciprocity Treaty between the Commonwealth and South Africa had been provisionally agreed to. The terms will not be announced until the Treaty is submitted to the House. It provides for mutual reduction of duties.