INTERCOLONIAL RECIPROCITY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 3863, 4 July 1874, Page 6

INTERCOLONIAL RECIPROCITY.

The following documents, including a memdrandum by the Colonial Treasurer and Commissioner of Customs of New Zealand, on the subject of Intercolonial Reciprocity, were presented to the "Victorian Parliament on the 9th ult. :— New Zealand Coloniar"Secretary's Office, Wellington, May 6, 1874. Sir—l have the honour to enclose the copy of a joint memorandum by the Colonial Treasurer and the Commissioner of Customs of New Zexland upon the subject of Intercolonial reciprocity between the Colonies of Australasia, which has been adopted and assented to by the Governor in Council of this Colony. I desire to commend the subject of this memorandum to the consideration of. your Government.—l have, &c , (Signed) Daniel Pollen. The Honourable the Chief Secretary of Victoria. James Fergusson, Governor. Memorandum. The Colonial Treasurer and the Commissioner of Customs of New Zealand have jointly had under their consideration the question of what action, if any, it is desirable to take under the power accorded by "The Australian Colonies Duties Act, 1873." INew Zealand possessed the power of imposing differential duties refore that Act was passed; but, inasmuch as similar powers were previously denied to the other Colonies, the Act, for the first time, afforded the means to the Australian Colonies of entering into reciprocal arrangements. Hitherto no action has been taken under the Act. The reason for this apparent indifierence to a measure so eagerly sought is not difficult to discover. Independently of the fact that the current desire to obtain a particular power does not necessarily imply that lb will be immediately used, there are reasons, in the late relations between several of the Colonies in respect to postal services, .Border Duties, cattle importation, and other questions, which explain why it has not been considered expedient, or likely to be productive of good results, to earlier press, the exercise of the powers conferred by the Act. Even now, though it is well the subject should be ventilated, it ia doubtful whether there will speedily be any results. The Colonial Treasurer and the Commissioner of Customs have, however, come to the conclusion to move the Government to take some action in respect to the Act. Past experience shows that conferences of the representatives of all the Australasian Colonies lead to misunderstandings rather than to agreements, and the Colonial Trea-. surer and Commissioner of Customs are of opinion that results are more likely to be arrived at by negotiations between different Colonies thaa by the more ambitious attempt to devise plans which will be suitable and acceptable to all of them. Indeed, the circumstances of the Colonies are so different, and the adoption, of a common plan would involve so many sacrifices, that the attempt to obtain united'action might lead to shelving the measure. On the other hand, any two of the Colonies would be able so to consider their own circumstances as to make negotiations between them comparatively easy. Any arrangement; entered into would probably, as far as circumstances did not compel a difference, lead to other arrange*ments of similar nature, so that in the end there would probably be a nearer approach to a common agreement by separate negotiation than by attempting at the outset to secure such a result. Should, however, the Colonies be of a different opinion, the Colonial Treasurer and the Commissioner of Customs think that New Zealand should not stand aloof, but that, on the contrary, she should invite the other Colonies to make this Colony the scene of the conference. There are reasons, which the other Colonies will perhaps not be unprepared to allow, why a neutral ground like New Zealand, sufficiently removed from Australia to be free from the territorial prejudices which affect different Governments on one continent, would be suitable for a meeting of the representatives of all the Colonies. The Colonial Treasurer and Commissioner of Customs, however, do not suggest that a conference should be recommended, but merely that, if it should be deemed expedient to hold one, Wellington should be the place of meeting. In the meanwhile, it is advised that New Zealand should show itself ready to negotiate with other Colonies. To facilitate such negotiations the Colonial Treasurer and Commissioner of Customs have considered the articles about which it is desirable to treat. Any two Colonies desiring to make arrangements would find it the most convenient course to first agree upon the articles which should become the subject of arrangement; the details of such arrangement would then be arrived at with comparative facility. In the schedule attached, the Colonial Treasurer and Commissioner of Customs enumerate the articles concerning which they are of opinion it will be desirable to treat. In selecting those articles, they have been guided by various considerations, such as— (a). That they are sufficiently important or useful, or likely to become so, to make it desirable that agreements should be entered into about them. (&). That they are not of a nature likely to occasion difficulties by importations of foreign goods being panned off as native productions. . (c). That they are articles which it is so essentially reasonable the Colonies should exchange and be dependent upon, each other for, that Great Britain and other countries would not be justified in complaining of the arrangements as injurious to their commerce or prejudicial to their interests. A practice has grown up in one Colony, if not more, of supplementing Customs duties by heavy wharf dues. As there would -be no advantage in the remission of duties if they could be replaced by other burdens, it should be understood that the arrangements made would concern all charges of a direct nature, whether in the shape of Customs duties or wharf or jetty dues. In respect ta the latter, it would be easy to agree that they should not exceed a specified rate. If approved in Executive Council, this memorandum might be forwarded to the Government of each of the other Colonies. Some of the articles in the schedule will not be applicable to the circumstances of all the Colonies ; but the general nature of the memorandum will sufficiently explain to any Colo'iy so situated the necessary inclusion. (Signed) Julius Vogel William H. Reynolds. Welliagton, April 23, 1874. SCHEDULE. Grain of all kinds, flour, -malt, hops, ale and porter, Colonial wines, New Zealand flax, timber, jams, butter, bacon, cheese, fish, fruit. (Sd.) Julius Vogel, Presiding.. Approved in Council 25th April, 1874. (Sd.) Forsteh Goring, Clerk of the Executive Council.