THE COMMONWEALTH

Otago Witness, Issue 2471, 24 July 1901, Page 18

THE COMMONWEALTH

THE PROPOSED SHIPPING LEGISLATION. TAXING NEW ZEALAND PRODUCTS. VIEWS OF FARMERS. MELBOURNE, July 18. ' The Government's bill to amend the State Constitution, rendered neces&ary on the establishment of the Commonwealth, has been circulated. The report of the Conference of Commandants has been laid on the table of the Federal House. They suggest a scale of daily pay ranging from £5 10s for the lieutenant-general down to 2s 3d foi plain Tommy Atkins's prototype. Mr Barton, in the House, s>aid he hoped when the tariff was brought down it would be accompanied by inter-State Free trade. July 18. The Senate amended the Postal Bill in the direction of retaining present rates uutil they were revoked by the Governor-General. The Postmastergeneral (Senator J. G. Drake) explains that before penny postage can be introduced it is necessary to know how the revenue and expenditure stand, and it will take 12 months to find this out. Owing to the strong protest of the shipping companies against the "clauses in the iuter-state bill seeking to interfere with the rates of freight, Sir W. J. Lyne will probably excise or modify the clauses. A bill has been introduced into the State House suppressing the use of trading stamps aud coupons providing for the issue of discount stamps. SYDNEY, July 18. The Governor's Speech will refer to the satisfactory state of the finances. Despite the extraordinary expenditure, the revenue will meet everything except the expenses of the African contingents. A convention will be appointed to deal with the reform of Parliament, necessary by the establishment of the Commonwealth. Bills will be introduced dealing with industrial arbitration and adult suffrage. July 20. i An influential meeting of representatives of oversea and inter-State shipping companies decided to cable to London i that the Commonwealth legislation in regard to charging Customs duties on goods consumed aboard ships between ports was outside the Constitution. July 22. A number of leading delegates to the recent Farmers' Convention interviewed with regard to the federal tariff question were unanimous on the following points : — That all the revenue required be raised through the customs ; that assistance be given to local industries ; that heavy duties be imposed ou New Zealand products till that colony federates with Australia ; and that protection be given to the sugar industry so that it might be carried on with white labour. ADELAIDE, July 18. Parliament was opened to-day. The Speech announced, subject to the approval of Parliament, that the Government have agreed to the construction of the Western Australian railway by the Commonwealth ; also to transfer

the Northern Territory on fair terms. Bills are promised to provide for reductions in the number of members in both Houses by one-third, and to make the Council franchise a household one. July 19. In the Assembly members have displayed great anxiety to see the papers tabled dealing with the displacement of Sir J. A. Cockburn and the appointment of Mr Grainger as Agent-general. PERTH, July 19. The Government have brought down au amended .schedule to the Loan Bill, totalling £2,197,000. There has been much wrangling, and several large items wore replaced by others, bringing the total amount to over three millions. July 20. After parsing the Loan Bill and the address to the Duke aud Duchess of Cornwall and York, Parliament adjourned till August 27.