Australian Commonwealth.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume III, Issue 98, 19 January 1901, Page 3

Australian Commonwealth.

Sydney, January 17. An enthusiastic receplion was accorded to Mr Barton at Maitland. A large audience assembled to hear him unfold the Federal policy, Mr Barton said that the Ministry was not a one-man Ministry, nor did it consist of men with a shibboleth. It did not include all the men that one would have desired, bat there were only seven portfolios. It was not a fact that any pressure was exercised by any members of the Ministry for inclusion. It was desirable that the Federal Parliament should bo master in its own house. Early steps would be taken to select the capital site of the Commonwealth .

An Old Age Pension Bill would be introduced as soon as the financial situation was clear enough to provide the necessary funds. The wish of the Ministry was for cheaper postage, telegrams, and cables. It was absolutely necessary to leave tbe field of direct taxation to the States. Thefe must be no direct taxation by the Commonwealth, unless for a great national emergency, and not even then if it could be avoided. He made this declaration in view of the statements by so-called revenue tariffists that they were threatened with Commonwealth direct taxation to the extent o(£700,000 as well as through the Customs. This meant that there must bo a high tariff. However framed, free trade would clearly be impracticable. The policy of the Ministry was to obtain revenue without the destruction of industries. The tariff must be such-as would maintain employment and hot ruin business. They required a tariff which would yield the sums needed, without discouraging production. He pointed out that unrestricted competition in Australia would tax to the full strength their industries without the unrestricted competition of the world. No one tariff of the six states now in force could claim to exclude its fellows. The highest duties were not to be adopted because they were the highest, or the lowest because they were the lowest. Each would have to run the gauntlet of criticism and justify itself by this means. He hoped that the. present business man’s tariff was a practicable working tariff, and really the Federal tariff. So as to avoid disaster, suffer ing, bitterness, and antagonism the first tariff ought to be considerate, preservative of the existing production, and liberal in its attitude towards those engaged in production, and an Australian tariff for the Australian nation. He would be happy to adopt a prefer*

ential treatment for British goods where reciprocity was possible. Amongst other measures would be one dealing with the settlement of ’industrial disputes extending beyond any one State. ? Ha Vould accept adult suffrage for the Commonwealth. Healing with the coloured labour question, his efforts would be in the direction Of a White Australia.