POLITICAL.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8216, 21 August 1906, Page 6

POLITICAL.

This afternoon the second sossion of the sixteenth Parliament of New Zealand is to be opened by the Go- i vernor with the usual form and ( ceremony in the Legislative Council rit 2.30 o'clook. The Heretaunga Mounted Rifle Corps is to furnish the escort for his Excellency from Government House to Parliament Buildings, where a squad of the New Zealand Royal Artillery will form the Guard of Honour, and the Garrison Band will play the National Anthem. The salute will be fired by a battery of Royal Artillery, The Address-in-Reply, which is to bo moved by the new member for Westland, will probably bo seconded by Mr C. H. Poole, una of Auokand's members. In the Upper House the Address will probably be moved and seconded by the Bona. C. H. Louieson and T. Tuompaou. The session which opens to-day will probably be a record for expedition, and an Illustration uf what can be accomplished by the introduction of business principles in the conduct of tho country's affairs in the House. It is understood says the Post, that the Financial Statement is completed, and that if members so desire it can be presented this week. Messrs Flatman and Kidd will again be the Whips of the Government Party, and Messrs Lethbridge and Lewis will act in a similar oapaoity for the Opposition Party. Merchants and manufacturers are looking forward to the coming weseion with the hope that the long-looked-for revision of the tariff will take place. Tfao question is bound to come up in some form, for just before his death Mr Seddon had arranged terms for a reciprocal commercial treaty between New Zealand and the Commonwealth of Australia. The treaty was to nave been simultaneously laid on the tables of the Federal and the New Zealand Parliaments during the reoent short session when the Hon. Mr Hall-Jones was Premier, but copies of the document ooulrt not be secured in time for presentation In the colony. The Government has received much advice from experts concerning the lines along which the revision should take plaoe, sajs the Post. The Tariff Committee of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce prepared a lint in June last. The Wellington Provincial Industrial Asssoolatlon also pre pared a list, and other kindred bodies sent lists to the Government ta assist in the revision. Mr Seddon gave indications of his intentions to deal practically with the matter during the 1906 session, intimating that he would submit pro poaals to Parliament involving a reduction in taxation of £251,000. In addition to the suggestions from representative bodies, members of Parliament have ideas concerning the revised list of dutiable goods. Mr 11. G. Ell has published some notes the subject. He states that if anycue examines the retail prices obtaining before the Customs Duties Amendment Aofc was passed in 1900 with the prices which have prevailed tince it will ,be seen that the consumer has benefitted by the remission made in 1900 on most of suoh articles as 1 kerosene, tea, sultanas, currants, raisins, rice, candles, salt, coffee, and. patent melicines. JBy the passing of the Preferential Trade Act of 1903 taxation was further reduced by plaoing tea in bulk on the free list, involving £40,000. This, added to tho reduction made in 1900, makes the total of the remission £198,000 on the then basis of value imported. Mr Ell, in common with many other people does not favour the suggestion (made by the late Mr Seddon) that the duty on tobacco should be abolished. Mr Ell has gone carefully through the tariff, and found that the amount of revenue pro posed to be sacrificed in favour of the tobacco tax wonld place more than asoore of items of common use and necessity on the free list. His list includes ootton goods not covered by the proposed reduction, and the following articles, the present duty upon which is shown in bjackets:—Floorcloth and oilcloth, chinawnre and earthenware for household use, cutlery, glassware, lamps and lampwioks, watohes, clocks, mats and matting (20 per cent.), paperhangings (15 per cent.) raisins and sultanas (Id per lb), preserved ginger and nuts (2d per lb), treaole and golden syrup j ()£d per lb), nails (2s per cwt), and window glass (2s the 100 sup. feet). The total amount of duty oollected upon the above-named articles during 11905 was £130,972, as against the [ suto of £131,165, sacrificed if the \ duty on tobacco was remitted.