The Federal Parliament.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume III, Issue 114, 12 October 1901, Page 3

The Federal Parliament.

Melbourne, October 10. There will be a hard fight over the tariff. Be venue tariffists are angered by the Government proposals, and will assist to knock everything out over 20 per cent. Mr Beid presided over a large meeting of the revenue tariff party. It was decided to move a motion ot want of confidence in the Federal Government. If the motion is unsuccessful the party will fight every item to the death. The censure motion will probably be moved on Tuesday. Svdnit, October 10. The tariff and its effects are the absorbing topics in the public mind. The feeling is pretty general that the tariff was framed under the influences which dominated the Victorian fiscal policy, and that scant consideration has bean shown to the New South Wales predilections for free trade. The objoj of making the agricultural tariff so high is undoubtedly done to kill New Zealand trade, and thus bring the eolony up with a sharp turn to the realisation cf what she ha* lost. As Maoriland supplies the bulk of bats used here a great deal will hare to be imported for the next year or more. One crumb of comfort is found in the fact that in supplying South African orders the Australian colonies have drawn largely on New Zealand to help them to fill such orders. A couple of years ago New Zealand would hare felt such a tariff very much, because Australia was the best", market. Things are changed now, an ) it looks as if South Africa would take Now Zealand’s products- The question arises whether producers here will not. lose more than Maoriland. As one merchant re* marked, “ New Zealand will now make ■psciat efforts to cater for the South African trade. If she dose she must out very seriously into the demand which our exporters have been supplying to the great benefit of producers here.”