COMMONWEALTH AND STATES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13307, 13 October 1906, Page 5

COMMONWEALTH AND STATES.

THE CONFERENCE IN Melbourne. FEDERAL FINANCIAL PROPOSALS. i f By Telegraph.— Association.—Copyris'nt. Melbourne, October 12. At the Inter-State Conference yesterday the l"$ discussion of Sir John Forrest's proposals inregard to the financial relations between the Commonwealth and the States in place of the Braddon clause was continued. .-/■« Several amendments wero made in the proposals. The amended proposals provide that subject to fixed payments' to the States the Commonwealth may impose additional : Customs and excise duties for specific ; purposes, and may specifically appropriate and retain and earmark the \Vlrolo "of the,re-. ;:r venue derived from■ such-. duties. If any surplus remains over after providing for .such . specific purposes three-fourths 6f such sur- , .{j plus is to be annually returned to the States per capita. •»,,/, . ' Sir John Forrest, proposed that these arrangements shall continue' for ten vettre from December, 1910, the date' of the'expiry of / ! the Braddon clause, and thereafter until the Federal Parliament provides otherwise. Thif "J was struck out. ; (Received October 13, 12.5 a.pi.) ? . JLklbquen'e,, October 12. The Inter-State Conference unexpectedly * £& completed its business to-day. It was resolved, subject to the adoption of the resolutions " previously carried relating to ,\y fixed payments to the, States, that the Conference express its general -approval of 'Sir . John Forrest's scheme -• to transfer State debts, and that the matter stand over for a special conference to settle details.; 1 Under the Braddon clause in the Federal :>W| Constitution the Federal Government has • to return to each Stale three-fourths of the Customs revenue raised in that State. —' ;>J v ' ' v;'J