THE IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT AND AUSTRALASIA

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8555, 14 October 1907, Page 5

THE IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT AND AUSTRALASIA

(From Our London Correspondent.)

LONDON, August 27. The Prime Minister was asked the following question, yesterday, by Mr Harold Cox:—"Whether his attention had been called to the statement by the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce that the new Australasian tariff will cause serious loss of employment in numerous industries in this country; and whether he will consider the advisability of relieving the taxpayers of this country at the earliest possible moment from the expense they now incur in connection with the naval squadron, specially maintained for the defence of Australia?" Sir Herbert Campbell-Bannerman replied:—"l am not aware whether or not the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce have made any statements of so general a character. They have stated in a letter addressed to the Under-Secretary for the colonies that great loss will be suffered by exporters from this country in respect of contracts already in execution by the enforcement of the new Australian tariff. The answer to the second part of the question is in the negative, as an entirely different set of considerations is involved in the maintenance of the naval agreement with Australia and New Zealand." The following is the full statement made by Mr Churchill in reply to Mr Kees:— <<At the Imperial Conference the Secretary of State indicated his willingness, first, to so separate the departments of the Colonial Office that there will be a distinct division dealing with the affairs of the colonies possessing responsible Government, and. secondly, to appoint a member of the Colonial Office to be Permanent Secretary to the Conference, so as to focus all business connected with it. The Secretary of State has made a statement in another place which sets forth the arrangements which are being made to constitute a separate division of the office to deal-with the self-go-verning colonies and protectorates or possessions geographically connected with them. Mr C. P. Lucas, the Senior Assistant Under-Secretary of State, will be head of that division, and Mr H. W. Just an Assistant Under-Secietary of State, who held the position of Joint Secretary to ths last Conference, and has a special knowledge of South African affairs, having visited that country with a former Secretary of State for the colonies, will bo a Permanent Secretary to the Conference. A despatch 'explaining these arrangements in detail will be addressed to the Governors of the self-governing colonies, and will be laid on the table."