THE FEDERAL POLICY.

Gisborne Times, Volume V, Issue 14, 18 January 1901, Page 2

THE FEDERAL POLICY.

OUTLINED BY THE HON. E. BARTON.

AN IMPORTANT PRONOUNCEMENT.

GREAT QUESTION OF FISCAL TARIFF.

RECIPROCITY WHEREVER POSSIBLE.

“ A FEDERATED WHITE AUSTRALIA.”'

By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright. Sydney, Jan. 17.

An enthusiastic reception was accorded the Hon. E. Barton at Maitland. Avery large audience assembled to hear him unfold the Federal policy. He said that the Ministry was not a one-man ministry,; nor composed of men with a shibboleth. Ho admitted that it did not infeiude all the men that .one would desire, but there were only seven portfolios. It was not a fact that any pressure : was exercised on any of the members of the Ministry for the inclusion.; It was desirable that the Federal Parliament should be master in its own house. Early steps would be taken to select the capital site of the Commonwealth. An Old Age Pension Bill would be introduced as soon as the financial situation was clear enough to provide the necessary funds. With the Ministry there was a desire that there should be cheaper postage, telegrams, and cables. It was absolutely necessary that they should loavo the field of direct taxation to tho states themselves.

There must, however, be no direct taxation by the Commonwealth, unless there was a great national emergency, and not even then if this could be avoided. He made this declaration with a view to contraverting the statements made by so-called revenue tariffists that the colonies were threatened with the imposition of £700,000 of Commonwealth direct taxation, as well as the imposition of heavy Customs duties. ' This in effect meant that there must be a high, tariff, however framed, and that freetrade was clearly impracticable. The policy of the Ministry, however, was to obtain an adequate revenue without any destruction of industries. The tariff must be such as would maintain employment for artisans and labourers, and not ruin it. : The tariff which would be imposed would yield the sums needed without discouraging the production. Mr Barton pointed out that unrestricted competition in Australia would tax to the full strength their industries without the unrestricted competition of the world. No one tariff of,the six federated States now in force could claim to exclude its fellows. The highest duties were not to be adopted because they were the highest' or the lowest because, they were the lowest. Each would have to run the gauntlet of criticism and justify itself. By this means he hoped that the present business would result in a tariff of practical working—really a federal tariff. So as to avoid disaster, suffering, bitterness, and antagonism, the first tariff ought to be a considerate one, preservative of the existing 1 productions of the States, and liberal in attitude towards those engaged in production, which practically meant an Australian tariff for an Australian nation.. He would be happy to adopt a preferential treatment towards British goods where reciprocity was possible. • Amongst the measures to be introduced would be one dealing with the settlement of industrial disputes extending beyond any one State. He would be prepared to accept udult

suffrage for the Commonwealth, and dealing with the question of colored labor he stated that the efforts of the Federal Parliament would be in the direction of a white Australia.