THE FEDERAL TARIFF.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11823, 28 November 1901, Page 5

THE FEDERAL TARIFF.

By Telegraph.—Press Association.—Copyright,

(Received November 23. 1.6 a.m.)

Sydney, November 27. Representatives of 57 mercantile firms and shipping companies in Sydney have forwarded a petition to Mr. Kingston, statinj that they view with alarm the almost certain destruction of trade between Sydney and Fiji, and other Pacific islands, if the Federal tariff is adopted. They ask him to take into special consideration the trade of the Commonwealth with th» Islands, and place on the free list such products as copra, cocoanuts, bananas, peanuts, pineapples, beche de mere, vanilla, pearlshell, anr 1 turtleshell. The petition reminds Mi. Kingston that recently, when New Zealand was trying to bring about the federation of Fiji with New Zealand, the. Federal Government strongly protested to Mr, Chamberlain against the movement. It would, therefore, appear to be inconsistent for the Federal Government now to so tax the products of Fiji that its trade must undoubtedly be forced to New Zealand and lost to the Commonwealth.

[BY TELEGRAM.—PRESS ASSOCIATION.] Duredin, Wednesday. As an illustration of the effect of the Federal tariff, the Star mentions that the Westralia's sole cargo from the Bluff for Sydney consists of a solitary box of cheese. Up to the present there is next to nothing booked at Lyttelton and Wellington, and when the vessel leaves the latter port, on Saturday it is expected her cargo under hatches will, not embrace more than fifty tons.