AUSTRALIAN COMMONWEALTH

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4296, 4 March 1901, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN COMMONWEALTH

ELECTION CAMPAIGN. NEW SOUTH WALES. SYDNEY, March 2. The Federal election campaign is in full swing, and the voice of the political charmer is hoard throughout the length and breadth of the Commonwealth. Thu various parties are hard at work closing up tlioir ranks, and from the- largo crops of aspirants selecting bunches for tho House and the Senate. Unity is the burden and the declared desideratum of every speech, but, the ideas of unity are wonderfully mixed, and are deeply tinged in most cases by party predilections and circumscribed by State boundaries. Every State nas its pet question. In Now South Wales and Victoria, thanks chiefly to Mr lie-id, assisted by a band of able lieutenants and with influential press support, the old frcctrnde versus protection cry has been forced to the front. The labour party is vigorously putting forward its claims, the various States providing a good quota of candidates. Though Mr Crick is practically robbc-J of his portfolio by the transference of the Post Office to the federation,nothing definite has yet been agreed upon with regard to the rearrangement of the State Ministry. Sir William Lyne's retention of the Premiership is much commented upon. Mr McGowen, leader of the labour parly, in a speech said he owed no allegiance to any party in the Federal campaign. Ostensibly the issue as raised in the metropolitan press was frecr-rado or protection, hut it was raised only to divide tho people, andallow Conj.-.r. vatives to get elected. The real object was not to secure freetrado, but to kill tho labour party'.

VICTORIA

MELBOURNE. .March 2. The -writs for the Federal elections have been, issued. Mr Kingston, the Federal Minister for Trade and Customs, states that if the Ministry decided to bring down a tariff in the first session of Parliament he would be prepared with the necessary recommendations. - SOUTH AUSTRALIA. SYDNEY, March 2. South Australians hare the transcontinental railway and the development of the Northern Territory as a fighting platform. QUEENSLAND. BRISBANE, March 2. Altogether seventeen nominations have been received for the Federal Senate. Mr Barton, the Federal Premier, visited Bundaberg, 217 miles north of Brisbane, and spent a day in visiting the sugar plantations and conversing with the growers on the question of black labour. Ho was presented with an address from the white workers, and eulogised for his promised abolition of Kanaka labour. SYDNEY, March 2. The battle is being made a. fierce and bitter one in Queensland, where interest centres round the question, of black labour, one of the most difficult problems the Federal Government will have to deal with. Mr Barton 1 is at present making an extended tour through the northern State, 1 with rhe double object of studying the question, and convincing the sugar-growers of the desirableness of a “white” Australia.

(Received March 4, 0.14 a.m.) BRISBANE, March 3

As one nomination, was informal, there are sixteen nominations for the six seats in the Federal Senate. WESTERN AUSTRALIA. SYDNEY, March 2. The Western Australian campaign is being carried on less ardently, though the special tariff concession granted to the State under the Commonwealth Bill is regarded as a source of much congratulation . TASMANIA. SYDNEY, March 2. Tasmanians are loyally federal, but have a, grievance. They want more substantial representation in the Federal Cabinet, and candidates are strenuously voicing that want. TRADE OF AUSTRALIA. (Received March 2, 9.9. p.m.) SYDNEY, March 2. Returns from the various States show that the trade of the Commonwealth last year age.egatcd £141,137,000, an increase of £690,000 over that for the previous year. The imports totalled £68,985,000, an increase of £5,546,000, and the exports £72,151,000, a decrease of £4,756,000. Tasmania was the only State -which showed an increase in exports. PROPOSED NEW ZEALAND CONTINGENT. RUMOIIR AS TO ITS CONSTITUTION. PARLIAMENTARY REPRESENTATIVES TO BE CONSULTED. It was rumoured in the city on Saturday that a contingent of 500 men, to consist,of representative volunteers from every part of New Zealand, was to be sent to Melbourne to participate, in the ceremonies incidental to the opening of the Federal Parliament. It seems that that statement was premature. . The suggestion which came from Alclbourne that New Zealand should send 1000 men to the celebrations has raised a chorus of disapproval in the press, the provincial journals being especially pronounced in opposition to the proposal. The Premier has decided upon a simple solution of the problem. Ho will to-day communicate with the members of Parliament from one end of the colony to tho other asking them if it is their wish that a contingent should he sent, and, if so, what its numerical composition should he. Upon the character of the replies received the action of the Government will be based.