BROTHERHOOD.

Taranaki Daily News, 9 March 1916, Page 5

BROTHERHOOD.

COMMONWEALTH AND DOMINION. DRAWING CLOSER TOGETHER (Prom Our Own Correspondent.) Wellington, March 7. "Undoubtedly the war is drawing New Zealand and Australia closer together," said Mr. H. J. Manson to-day. Mr. Manson is New Zealand's Trade Commissioner in Australia, his headquarters being in Melbourne, and he is at present paving a visit to Wellington. ''A new meaning has been given to the kinship between the peoples of the Commonwealth and the Dominion, and I know from my own observations on both sides of tlie Tasman Sea that the associations of Anzae are not going to bp forgotten wl.cn times of ppacc come again. "1 was talking on this subject with an Australian officer, returned from the front, and he told me of the impression made upon his mind by a scene he had witnessed after one of the Gallipoli engagements. A ridge had ' been taken, and at the point where the tide of battle had ebbed and flowed an Englishman, an Australian and a New Zealander lay dead side by side. They had giventheir lives in the common cause. 'Surely that was real Empire building,' said the officer."

Mr. Manson went on to say that .the whole question of trade relations between New Zealand und Australia probably would require to be considered after the elose of the war. Various moves had been made in that direction in past years, but under the existing tariffs each country was treating the other almost as a foreign land. The tariffs had grown without definite design or scientific. arrangement and their tendency certainly was to hamper the exchange of goods between the Commonwealth. aiul. the Dominion. Business men who had looked into the subject were disposed to believe that the position could be made a great deal easier without any substantial interference with the principles of protection. The Australian cities were not feeling the pinch of the war to any serious degree, added Mr. Manson. Business was in a flourishing condition, and lie had heard on all sides that the Christmas trade had been exceptionally good. The drought of last year had been an adverse influence, but the new season's wheat crop had proved a splendid one. and was bringing a huge amount of money into Australia, in spite of the shipping difficulty. A casual visitor to Melbourne or Sydney would scarcely notice that a war was In progress, but for the prevalence of uniforms. Referring to military matters, the Commissioner said there was a feeling in many quarters in Australia that conscription was inevitable. The authorities were making great efforts to secure the required number of men by the voluntary system, and splendid results had been achieved by many of the recruiting organisations, but the problem was not solved. The Melbourne hotels were closing at !).,10 p.m., and an agitation was in progress for placing of wet canteens in the camps, with the idea of improving th ( > conditions under which the soldiers get their liquor. The "shouting" system was blamed for most of the trouble that had arisen in this connection, A proposal for a referendum was being discussed in New South Wales, the people to decide at what hour the hotels should be closed during.the period of the war.