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Evening Star, Issue 11663, 23 January 1902, Page 4

Thy, address of the Australian Commonwealth Premier at Maitland An Important (New Sooth Wales) to his Deliverance, con*tituents of the Hunter, delivered during the holiday adjournment of the Federal Parliament, was of a most interesting character, and met with a splendid demonstration of approval. At the outset the right honorable gentleman explained why he went first to Maitland, instead of speaking at the capital # of the State. It was the great centre of the constituency he represented, 'knd the only constituency in New South Wales which had returned a raemher to the House without opposition. He proceeded to set forth fully the policy of the Government, and what, had so far been done and initiated :'n the first session of the first Parliament in pursuance thereof. He admitted that the Ministry were not so immaculate as to be exempt from mistakes; but he claimed that they had honestly and faithfully attempted to face their difficulties. If the history of the past year, with its comparative freedom from serious hitches, were compared with the experiences of the initial twelve months' period of other Federations, it would be seen that there had been forebodings of failure in every case. The United States of America was a notable illustration, and at one time the dissolution of that Federation became imminent The experience of the Dominion of Canada ia tfie early years of Federation was also

that of serious difficulty. In regard to Australia, he declared there was no justification for any foreboding of ill to the Commonwealth. Notwithstanding the trouble that must attend the institution of a new order of things, there was no reason to doubt the ultimate success of Federation in Australia. The work of the session challenged comparison with that of any Parliament, and this was saying a great deal when the new problems that had to be faced were considered. In the first place, he contended that they had fulfilled to the absolute letter the promises made of a White Australia. The Immigration Restriction Act had stemmed and would effectually stem the tide of immigration of an undesirable nature. He had been asked why he did not support a proposal shutting out immigrants solely on account of their color. His answer was that the tests in the Act were sufficient, and in no sense endangered their relations with that Empire to which they were all* proud to belong. The tests provided for objection not only to color, but to those undesirable from any other valid cause. Thus was established a wall around Australia which it would be difficult to pass. The other branch of this legislation was the Kanaka Act. The Government had realised that there was a feeling in Australia that the time had come to set a limit to any traffic or immigration which would conflict with the ambition for a white race. They saw, too, that there wa.s no foundation in fact for the necessity for black labor. They therefore passed a Bill limiting the introduction of such labor in a diminished quantity for two years and a-quarter from January 1, and prohibiting a contractor from employing black labor after 1906. Referring to the Tariff, the Premier said that it had been made the ground of charges of reckless and aggravated breaches of faith and personal dishonor against himself. The Tariff, as proposed, was absolutely consistent with the pledges made, and was no departure from the position taken up at the elections. He ha-d declared himself =* Protectionist, and so liad nearly all his colleagues, but at the same time he Lad made it perfectly clear that the protection must be moderate. The Tariff brought in was moderate and to a great degree Protective, but it was not a prohibitive tariff, nor was it a scientific Protective tariff. Scientific Protection would not have raised the necessary revenue. The Tariff had to take a middle course. It had to be high as regarded revenue duties, and moderate as regarded Protective duties, in order to maintain the solvency of the States, to which certain amounts had to be returned under the Constitution Act. Charges of extravagance had been made against the Federal Administration. There was a population of nearly 4,000,000 in the Commonwealth territories, and the new expenditure entailed under the Constitution for the year 1901 was about £205,000. This, no doubt, would increase with the population and the needs of the people, but it was far below the estimate. In regard to finance, the Premier stated that the Tariff proposed by the Government would" yield something under nine millions, which would ensure to the States a return sufficient to secure them from financial embarrassment, and maintain the credit of the whole of Australia. Sir George Turner, the Federal Treasurer, had declared that the proposed arrangements would place the whole of the States in a position that they would have nothing to fear financially for the future. That, Mr Barton affirmed, was the policy employed, and the Government "-pro bound to make the Tariff >'■,:■<■■■; ■ : : • '■

side in order to me;.; ii !i <•; Australia, which, if neglected, would not only embarrass the weaker States, but endanger the Commonwealth itself.