THE UNFOLDING OF THE TARIFF PROPOSALS.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 11098, 17 October 1901, Page 5

THE UNFOLDING OF THE TARIFF PROPOSALS.

POINTS FROM MR-KINGSTON'S SPEECH. PROTECTIONIST PROPOSALS, Federation has brought us many big things (says the Melbourne "Argue" of October 9th) but the biggest of all rtas Budget day, with ite'eix and a half hours oi Budget and tariff expositione. Naturally .there was a great demand for scats-, but journalists, members of the - Senate, and members of the State Parliament occupied most of the space, and the limitation of admiosion had been bo strict that there was no crowding. It was in the tariff that, the principal interest centred, and therefore when Mr Kingston rose he wae received, not only with cheers, but with that hum of interest and excitement whish showed that the listeners were _cont*aoua that the great secret meaning' so much to' - the Commonwealth—possibly Also- to the Government—was at last to be disclosed. Strange it wae that a pronounced protectionist should commence with a paean of triumph over the accomplishment «£ interstate freer trade. Mr Kingston announced -that the Government had taken the responsibility of making freedom between the statea coincident with the delivery of the tariff statement. Loud cheers came from the Opposition as he recalled the memories, of men no longer present who" had looked forward 'to this splendid moment, and struggled to. ..hasten ita coming. - Noting the inference to be drawn from these freetnvde cheers, Air Kingston shewed that his delight in free commercial intercourse-was strictly limited, and he asserted that tlie, freetrade in wMch be rejoiced is a free- . trade amongst people suDecnbing to the' same conditions ox life.' This definition, is hh economic dictionary, exclude all Briton* not residing in Australia. , Passing from tlus, Mr Kingston, said ■that be did not propose to ducues abstract questions oi principle. "Wβ know what our "views are/ he eaid, "they were declared by the Prime Minister, and, as a result, we are bete, and our majority is here, and if there ia any doubt on the Barton fiscal policy, let it fie determined at once on the floor of this House." This outburst elicited cheers from the extreme protectioniste on the Government side, and, having thus trailed the tail of hie sac-coat in the fa/* of the Opposition, Mr Kingston betook himself to the teek of exposition. He repeated, with more detail, the statement which Sir George Turner had xnada aa to the amount of taxable import*. Deducting £1,500,000 of excise duty front the total amount of revenue required, he said that £7,500,000 had to be obtained from £21,000,000 of imports, and that would mean 35 per cent, duties. Members fairly gasped at this statement, but Mr Kingston went on to explain thet l £4,100,000 would be obtained from Customs and excise dude* on stimulants and narcotics. This left an average of 22 per cent, for the remainder of the taxable Hems, of waicb £2,020,000 was to be obtained by fixed and composite a& an average of 30 per cent.; £104,000 by 10 per cent, duties, £496,000 by IS per cent., £1,188,000 by 20 per oeak, and £674,000 by 26 per cent duties. In addition to this a free list of £6,000,000 was allowed for, which Mr Kingston said be foougbt was very liberal under the circumstances. The average percentage of the ad valorem rates wae 18.77. Coming to the incidence of the taxation, Mr Kingston explained that the tariff was divided into sixteen classes of goods.

Spirits Would be chatted at the New South Wales rate of l4s per gallon for Customs, while 11s and 12s 6d pcs , gallon would bathe excise rates. A rat« of 3s 6d » imposed on import* of joaftfrofftctured tobacco, a preference of Is in, the lb being given to that locally eiamiftttstnred, the «xci*e on local-tobacco being Is per lb. The tariff proposal* as to sugar were awaited with special Interest. Sir Kingston announced that the imposts are to be £6 par tort import duty and £3 per ton excise duty, giving a preference of £3 per ton to the local product. A farther concession of £2 jier ton is to be made to local mgnt which.la produced by whit* labour, ort which only £1 exdse duty trill be charged. ■ Mr Kingston waxed eloquent, and be raised cheers from the labour members when he explained that this was p&rt of the Government policy of a Whit© Australia. Hβ grew fierce in. his denunciation of the piasters who employed blaclc labour, and when Sir Malcolm McEtfouam attempted a mild interposition on their behalf he angrily asserted that the planters oring these blade men aw*y from their homes to die, and c&re nothing bo long as they get their profits. In concluding, Mr Kingston said the Government proponed to give bonuses to encourage the establishment! of important industries, notably the manufacture of iron, upon which bomises of 8s And 12s per ton will be offered. •