A.-6

1875. NEW ZEALAND.

INTERCOLONIAL RECIPROCITY. (PAPERS RELATIVE TO).

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His ZExcellency.

No. 1. Circular to Australasian Governments. (No. 14.) Colonial Secretary's Office, Wellington, Sib,— New Zealand, 6th May, 1874. I have the honor to enclose the copy of a joint memorandum by the Colonial Treasurer and the Commissioner of Customs of New Zealand upon the subject of intercolonial reciprocity between the colonies of Australasia, which has been adopted and assented to by the Governor in Council of this colony. I desire to commend the subject of this memorandum to the consideration of your Government. I have, Ac, Daniel Pollen. , ,—. ,

Enclosure in No. 1. Memorandum on Intercolonial Reciprocity between Australasian Colonies. The Colonial Treasurer and the Commissioner of Customs of New Zealand have jointly had under their consideration the question of what action, if any, it is desirable to take under the powers accorded by " The Australian Colonies Duties Act, 1873." New Zealand possessed the power of imposing differential duties before that Act was passed; but inasmuch as similar powers were previously denied to the other colonies, the Act for the first time afforded the means to the Australian colonies of entering into reciprocal arrangements. Hitherto no action has been taken under the Act. The reason for this apparent indifference to a measure so eagerly sought is not difficult to discover. Independently of the fact that the earnest desire to obtain a particular power does not necessarily imply that it will be immediately used, there are reasons, in the late relations between several of the colonies in respect to postal services, border duties, cattle importation, and other questions, which explain why it has not been considered expedient, or likely to be productive of useful results, to earlier press the exercise of the powers conferred by the Act. Even now, though it is well the subject should be ventilated, it is doubtful whether there will speedily be any results. The Colonial Treasurer and the Commissioner of Customs have, however, come to the conclusion to move the Government to take some action in respect to the Act. Past experience shows that conferences of the representatives of all the Australasian colonies lead to misunderstandings rather than to agreements, and the Colonial Treasurer and Commissioner of Customs are of opinion that results are more likely to be arrived at by negotiations between different colonies than by the more ambitious attempt to devise plans which would be suitable and acceptable to all of them. Indeed, the circumstances of the colonies are so different, and the adoption of a common plan would involve so many sacrifices, that the attempt to obtain united action might lead to shelving the measure. On the other hand, any two of the colonies would be able so to consider their own circumstances as to make negotiations between them comparatively easy. Any arrangement entered into would probably, as far as circumstances did not compel a difference, lead to other arrangements of a similar nature, so that in the end there would probably be a nearer approach to a common agreement by separate negotiation that by attempting at the outset to secure such a result. I—A. 6.