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New Zealand Times, Volume LXVII, Issue 3439, 21 May 1898, Page 2

The movement to send a team of New Zealand cricketers to AusInter- tralia is one that deserves colonial support. The proposal is cricket, that the tone shall include tiiat&hes at Hobart, Sydney, Melbourne and iu either South Australia or Queensland, so that opportunity would be given for a fair trial of skill hetVeeh the best of our cricketer* and the best of the Australians. It Vvonld be scarcely reasonable to hope that the result of such a trial would be favourable to New Zealand players. As yet we cannot expect to compete, in the cricket connection, with Australia, where the conditions are ek- i ceptionally favourable to proficiency, and are assisted by great public enthusiasm. "VTa have had Bomß notable cricketers like SeCtetan, Barton, Ashby, Corfe and the Friths, in those earlier times when the Canterbury fifteen beat an Australian eleven, but whether players of the same standard are still to be obtained here is a question which can only be answered by practical demonstration. Probably tho effect to a New Zealand team of an Australian tour would be principally an educative one. Even in that respect, however, it would be beneficial. Cricket is the best and honestest of all field games, aUd the one which, above all ethefs, it is good to see becoming popular. Suoh a tour as has been suggested would strengthen the’game in the public estimation, and so UehiCfC the desirable result of atfakcilng greater interest.

i. curious phase of tho fierce Federation discussion that is proceeding Australian in Australia is the UdSibonFKDBRATiON. tiou of Jthe AflVi-federalists

that *f the last Convention’s Constitution & adopted there must be an oppressively heavy Customs tariff. The clause in the Constitution Bill which this argument centres on reads thus-. —"Of the net revenue of the Commonwealth from duties of Customs and excise not more than one-fourth shall be applied annually by the Commonwealth towards its expenditure. The balance Shall', in accordance with this Constitution, be paid to the several state's or applied towards the payment of interest on debts of the several states taken over by the Commonwealth.” Upon this it is argued that if, for example, federal expenditure amounted to £3,000,000 the Federation would be bound to raise £12,000,000 by Customs and excise duties. It is assumed, to put it more plainly, that the clause absolutely declares that the amount of federal expenditure shall be one-fourth of such duties. It seems, however, to be hlearly optional. Not more than one-fourth of‘the duties may be applied to this purpose j but there is no provision that as much shall be applied to suoh a purpose, and ncf prevention of the expenditure being obtained from other sources suoh as direct taxation. That the Federation will adopt a protective tariff, and raise most of its revenue in that way, is unquestionable, and should have been allowed for by all the prospective partners. But this clause there is so much objection to does not make any such stipulation.