FEDERAL MINISTERS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXI, Issue 26, 1 February 1911, Page 8

FEDERAL MINISTERS.

! MESSRS. HUGHES AND BATCHELOE IN WELLINGTON. THAT RECIPROCAL TARIFF CONFERENCE. WORK IN THE NORTHERN TERRITORY. En route to Auckland, and on their way towards the conclusion of a recuperating tour through New Zealand, the, Hons. W. M. Hughes (second in command of the Commonwealth Government and Attorney-General) and E. L. Batchelor (Minister for the Interior) spent a few hurried hours in Wellington to-day previous to their departure by the Main Trunk for the North. The visitors breakfasted with, the Hon. G. Fowlds, and were taken for a motor ride later. Before joining the express the* Labour Ministers had a short conference with the Attorney-General, Dr. Findlay. DISCREETLY NON-COMMITTAL. Mr: W. M. Hughes was discreetly non-committal when approached oy a representative. of The Post on 'the mat- j ter.of his Southern conference with Sir Joseph__Ward in regard to the Vancouver .mail service and that very important phase — the question of tariff reciprocity between the Dominion and, Australia, with Canada as a third significant factor. The Labour Minister agreed that the idea of such a reciprocity was a very desirable one : as a general principle it was excellent. But nothing definite Ead been arrived at so. far, and, therefore, he had nothing definite to say as to the result of the conference. ■ "Would it be correct to state that an amicable settlement was probable? 1 ' The Minister expressed the opinion that he could hardly go that far. Sir Joseph Ward would confer with him again in the North. Before a settlement could be arrived at the parties had to discriminate between the things they wanted included in the reciprocity proposals and the things unwanted, and, iteeessarily, he epuld not be expected to hazard a propkecy as to the probable success or non-success of a settlement at this stage. INTERCHANGE OF LAW PROCESSES. Mr. Hughes and the Attorney-General conferred on the question of & reciprocity in the matter of exchange of law processes, which should apply equally in Australia and New Zealand. That is : Whether it was not possible for a Commonwealth. Statute to be made effective in New Zealand and vice versa. This idea, too, it was considered, was one to be desired. Mr. Hughes has received a copy of our Statutes from Dr. Findlay, that he might closely acquaint himself with it preparatory to moving in the matter. In reply to a question Mr. Hughes staged that Mr. Fisher (the Prime Minister) and two members of the Government, would attend the Imperial Conference in London. He was not, however, prepared to give names. TRANSCONTINENTAL RAILWAY. It was left to the latest Labour Gov- j eminent of the Commonwealth to acquire that marvellous asset, the; Northern Territory, and to decide to lay j down the Transcontinental railway be- j tween Pert Augusta, in the south, and ! Port Darwin, in the north. Mr. Batehe- { lor explained that details in connection with this national undertaking were nob available. So much of the country was j as yet unexplored, and it would be necessary for the Government to have the huge area mapped out in some way before proceeding definitely with the putting down of the track. With that end in view he had arranged and equipped an expedition which, started from Port Augusta, which will work through the M'Dortnell ranges, Alice Springs, and the New Waters, traversing Central Australia diagonally and diverging tc the north-east towards where tha Roper and M'Arthur rivers empty into Western Gulf of Carpentaria. This expedition will, so far as possible, plan out the country, and at the same time find out whether there is, 'on this side of the Gulf, a suitable site for a port. In a sense, a part of the route to bo traversed by the line will depend on the development of the gold areas around Tanami, on the West Australian border, and on the result of prospecting parties now probing the M'Donnell ranges in search of the precious metal. A SCIENTIFIC EXPEDITION. In May next a scientific expedition, equipped by the Commonwealth Government, and including scientists from all the Australian Universities', will set out from Port Darwin and map out a field ot a large scientific survey in Northern Australia. DEALING WITH THE ABORIGINAL PROBLEM. One of the most important things that will occupy. the attention of the Federal Government almost immediately is the future of the Australian native. The question is whether the aboriginals shall be settled in combination — in aggregation, or split up into smaller bodies. Jacky Jacky gets his blankets, tobacco, and food necessary on some of the old style of reserves, but the Government is not satisfied with that system. One of the things that will militate, said Mr. Batchelor, against the aggregation ol tne natives is the fact that the various tribes are mostly antagonistic one to the other. Especially . in Northern Australia, and particularly in the lately acquired Northern Territory, tie problem has become a serious one — this in | connection with the Chinese. In Port Darwin the mingling of, the Oriental and the weakminded Australian black has resulted in an outrageous state of affairs, and the Federal Government recognises that the problem is one that must be attacked immediately. As to »the old style of reserves on which communities of blacks are congregated and looked after, Mr. Batchelor said that these 'places were only reserves in that they were held from settlement.