The Waikato Argus [PUBLISHED DAILY.] MONDAY OCTOBER 14, 1901.

Waikato Argus, Volume XI, Issue 1072, 14 October 1901, Page 2

The Waikato Argus [PUBLISHED DAILY.] MONDAY OCTOBER 14, 1901.

The Ministry and the largo section of the Press of this colony which opposed federation with Australia are vef'y much exercised in their minds because what was practically inevitable has happened, and they arc abusing in no measured terms the Barton Ministry for introducing a tariff which shall encourage the cultivation of their own soil, in place of drawing supplies from New Zealand. This colony stood aloof from selfish motives, and 'was encouraged to this step by the false hope held out to them by the Premier and others that a reciprocal tariff would, without doubt, bo arranged. The tariff as brought down by the Barton Ministry lias done away with (bis hope, and tbo Premier and the journals which supported him are now, in place of talking of reciprocity, exercising all their ingenuity to discover a. soft fiscal place in which to bit and injure our cousins across the Tasman Sea. The Now Zealand Times, which is the mouthpiece of (he Government, in its issue of Friday writes:—‘The Premier has promptly sounded (he inevitable note of war by hinting at retaliatory measures on Australian products, and from Auckland comes a demand for an export duty on baulk timber, as a set-off to the Commonwealth’s import duty on sawn —the latter being designed to transfer the employment of labour from this country to Australia. Our contemporary then goes on to suggest that the travellers from Australian houses shall bo prevented by some means from taking orders in Now Zealand, for the reason that they arc able to undersell (hose doing the same business in this colony. This is only possible, of course, by plashier a prohibitive tax upon the travellers \vbo visit New Zealand, and if the business done by an Australian firm is of any magnitude, this duly would have lo bo very high indeed. Bluster of this description is not in the least likely to have any effect upon the people of the Commonwealth, unless it bo to destroy any sentiment favourable to New Zealand on the grounds of kinship. Now Zealand refused lo cast in her lot with the Australian States, and thus secure to herself all tho advantages of intercolonial frectrade. She did this deliberately, and it is now worse than childish to become spiteful and abusive because the inevitable lias happened. We quite agree with tbo Premier that we must look for other markets ; that was an apparent necessity long before the federal tariff saw tbo light. The Government and people of Now Zealand forgot when considering the question of federation that tho dog is much more likely to wag the tail than the tail the dog. The (ail is now angry with the do", but it is impotent to move it, and is hourly becoming more angry in consequence. The position which flic Government and people have taken up reminds one of the duet which was so popular some time back, “ You Shan’t Play In Our Yard.”