FEDERAL POLITICS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 13049, 14 December 1905, Page 5

FEDERAL POLITICS.

j THE ANTITRUST BILL. PROVISIONS AND PENALTIES, By Telegraph— Association.—Copyright.'; 'Melbourne, December 13. The Federal Anti-Trust Bill introduced in ' the House of Representatives yesterday defines "lower' remuneration" as . less pay or longer hours, or any terms or conditions of labour more disadvantage- : ous to the workers. " Imported goods", ' . include all parts or ingredients of goods'; and "trade'' means production of any kind. Unfair competition" means (1) competition' that would probably, or does, result in greatly disorganising Australian industry," or throwing workers out of employment; - (2) that imported goods have been purchased abroad at prices greatly below their ordinary cost of production where produced, ' or below the market price where purchased ; and (3) that goods are being sold in Australia at a price less than that which gives the importer or seller a fair profit upon a fair V' > foreign market value or cost of production, "■■■■■■ together with all charges after shipment •" from whence exported directly to Australia(4) tliat .the importer or seller directly or indirectly gives agents or ( intermediaries a disproportionately large remuneration for selling or " ' recommending goods: P.'.?vision if) made that any person who monopolises, or attemv/ts * - or combine.'i to. monopolise, any part >f the trade amongst several States or with other ,• countries, ;ricL the desire of controlling, to the detriment of-the. public, the : sn?jplv or price of any ..merchandise . oi cammodity become : liable to - & penalty ; S: of £500 r or tsMw months' iEB?>->«sanent, - and amy aiding or abetting 'in- the con- , travention of the Act .is to tie held ' equally.,guilty and equally punishable with the contravcners. The Board of Investigation is to be invested with powers equivalent to those of a Royal Commission. Sir W. Lyne claims that the .Bill is not nearly so drastic as the American Bill, which it largely follows, though in a modified form. v ;: ■■ - Mr. Watson generally approves of tie measure, but Mr. Cook, the deputy-Leader' of the Opposition, says that the Bill is the " hottest dose"- that the Australian trader has yet had administered to him. ■; It was not a proposal regulating competition, but * ' preventing it. It might seek. to repress: ; trusts, but .if it did that it would be by repressing trade far, beyond the dream, of . \ moderate Protectionists. , SIR W. LYNE'S SPEECH." ; (Received . December 13, ; 11.3 p.m.) \ ' Melbourne, December 13. Sh W. Lyne, in moving the second read>. ing of the Anti-Trust Bill, said that every effort should be made to preserve local .*• " industries. If ' justification . were needed for introducing the Bill, it was found in • ! ih-s experience of the United 1 States in the operation of. trusts. He quoted the American Stock Journal to show! the * system , adopted by the Harvester Trust to crush opposition. There was urgent necessity for doing something to cop© with the Har- j vester Trust when' they found a foreign firm dumping its goods in. Australia- wiln the express purpose of killing local industries. Anyone who would not take action ~ . was not worthy of the name Australian, and ought to be called a Little Australian. Under the Bill a trust was not a firm or an r / individual; there had to be a combination. The shipping companies would not be af- ■ fected unless they joined in' a monopoly ' with a joint board to control the whole ■ of their ships and direct what freight should be charged, to the injury of the . public. The Government did not wish any- V. " thing to be done which, would cause an internal monopoly and increase prices. Al- ■ ready, owing to his action, the price of the Harvesters had been reduced. . The Bill only dealt with, foreign and inter-State > - trade; that confined '.to one State did nob 'come within its scope. The interests of producers, workers, - and- consumers were all considered. It was necessary that per- < sons should wilfully engage' in 1 combina- ' • r tion or monopolies before they became affected by the Bill. He commcnded it to / every section of the •. community. • : . " On the motion of Mr. Cook the debate : was adjourned until to-morrow. ' . ' CAPITAL SITE QUESTION. ill. Pnlsford, in the Senate yesterday, moved the adjournment to discuss the capital site question. Ho said he considered, that New South Wales had reasonable justification for annoyance in the matter. He thought the blame for the ■- - I difficulty partly; was due to New South Wales herself. Mr. Play ford said the motion was a; gross abase of the Standing Orders. The Government had promised to introduce a, Bill this session that might deal with the question. The whole of the blame was due to New South Wales, .who had offered the ' site at Dalget-y, and then had withdrawn it. 1 Several senators warmly condemned> the 1 remier of '/New • South Wales (Mr. Oirruthers) for. his speech and action in the State Parliament regarding the subject. Mr. Stewart' said that the New South Wales Parliament should be made to with- 4 draw its resolution of protest, and apologise before the matter wis settled. The motion was withdrawn. Sydxkv, December 13. Tho Daily ;Telegraph" says that the " Anti-Trust 'Bill audaciously provides a short: ■ cut to the. most, extreme and oppressive