INTERCOLONIAL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2505, 26 March 1902, Page 19

INTERCOLONIAL.

MELBOURNE, March 10. Iv the Federal House, Sn G Turner, in his supplementary tariff statement, -did 1 with reference; Uj the POfetfioned itfcUU?

he proposed to leave the duties on glucose and sugar, tea, and kerosene as they were, make rice for starch-making free, and place an excise duty on starch made from it, while the duty ou dressed rice would be 6s and undressed 4s per cental. He proposed to put 4d excise duty on matches reduce tinned fish from 2d to Id per lb. He proposed to make Xe%v Zealand white pine dutiable, giving a drawback on butter-boxes made here from it He thought ash, oak, and walnut should not be free while other and cheaper lines were autiable. Sir G. Turner'- statement estimated that the Federal tarift would bring in c.3,.587,000, or £378,000 above his previou« estimate. Even at the highor estimate this year would bring in £363,000 le-s than a normal year. He had under-estimated the New South Wales revenue by £351,000, but even at the present estimate it was half a million less than the normal year would produce. As to Queensland, owing to the drought ' and other causes there had" been a falling-off of £123,000. Owing to the reductions made in the tariff and the articles placed on the free list there had been a loss to the revenue to the extent of £300,000, and there would be a further loss by placing tools and some lines of machinery on the free list. Against this had to be placed the excise duty on opium, spirits, and cigarette*, totalling £85,000. There would also be p number of other items, but the revenue therefrom would not amount to much. In the Federal Hou<e Mr A. Deakin (Attorney-general), in a brilliant speech, moved the second reading of the Judiciary Bill. Instead of the High Court being a splendid luxury, as some alleged, it wa- a nece«.-ary part of the Constitution. It would effect the legal relations of the people of the States to such an extent that it might fairly be termed a revolution. The High Court was the keystone of the Constitution ; it would protect the liberties of the people of the Commonwealth. It was intended to pi*ocure the best men Australia could produce a- judge-. The bill made no alteration in regard to appeals to the Privy Council, a- the power of Parliament to limit the matter* upon which appeals could b<» made had not been exercised, Mr Deakin intimated that the annual co-t would be £30,000. He suggested that if by reason of its learning and knowledge the High Court challenged comparison with the tribunals of other countries, it might attract business from Now Zealand. He strongly appealed lor the creation of a tribunal worthy of a federated people. March 20. Albert M'Xamara has been sentenced to death for maliciously setting fire to a <-hop m which his four-yoar-old child peri-hod in the name 1 -. During hi<- -peeeh Sir G. Turin. i -aid that the pre-ent figures showed that the States would receive for the present year the following -urn-> from the customs, over the amounts received in previous venr-:— New South Wales, £92(3,000; [Victoria, £H 1,000. South Australia, £ U,OOO, "\\V-t Australia, £102,000. while Ta-mama woukl show a decrease of £110,000, and Queensland a decrease of £380,000. .In Westralia the revenue, instead of being £800,000, as estimated, was £1,107,000, the increase being on the ovor-ea trade alone. In the Federal Hou«e of Representative- Mr Barton announced that he was advi-ed by the Colonial Office that an Ordor-in-Council had been passed, transferring the administration of New Guinea to the Governor-General. As -oon as other formal arrangements were romploted the Federal Government would ,pa-s a bill providing for the administration of New Guinea. jJelpgfTtes representing the Commercial Traveller- Associations of all the States Of the Commonwealth sailed by the Mokoia en rout* 1 to the annual Conference of the United Commercial Travellers' Association of Australasia, tto be hold m Dunedin on Thursday and Friday nfit -week. M.uch 21 V (athoht Ladies' College has boon opened at Ka-t Melbourne. Lady M'lnUre, wife ot Sir John M'lntyre, is dead. Mr Chamberlain ha- informed Mr Barton that the King will be glad to welcome ,i Commonwealth funtingent not oxf. I'ding 580 f ' oOO) rnon tor the Coronation < oremoiue-, thf rolonial Government to pay t ho pa— ajiO- of tin- men. The Tariff Committee di-cu--p<l Sir G. Turner'- recent -tatement. One section of the member- aigued thnt, in view of the large -urphis m tho revenue dis-flo-cil, tia, kero-eno, and -ome other item- yet to be dealt with -hould bo placed on the tree li-t. The other -ule advocated the retention of tho dutie- in ordei to a— l^t the nece-Mtou- States of Queensland and Ta-mama. Mr Edwaixl-propo-i-d to u-o tho -urplu- to avoid rai-intr a loan. Mr Wat-on moved that tea. bo placed on tho free h-t, and tinwas earned by "28 to 20. Diseuwon of the item- -ugar and gluco-o wa- po-t-poned Tho Tanfi'Coniinittop pa--cd ihr duties on -ugar and duro^e unamrnded. Several attempt- made to reduce them ueie defeated. Tho ((iiartei- of a million 3 per ront. loan, at* a .nininiuni of £'M, placed on (lif local market-. pio\.«l ,i f.iilurc Hit* Sai-mg-, Dank applj.-<! tor £100,0W at the lT^imrpum -ni(l ijje pubJiO iiiftk jLaiiiPOO,_

the average being slightly over £94 ld# The State Treasurer is much disappointed, and ascribes the failure to recent press criticism on the State's expenditure. SYDNEY, March 18. At St. Patrick's Day banquet, Arch* bishop Kelly, pleading fche cause of Ireland, said that they might hope thafc they might have an Irish Administration pitting in Dublin Castle and Irish members in the British Cabinet, and have Mi? John Dillon, Mr John E. Redmond, and men of that kind invited by the King to bring peace and prosperity to illgoverned Ireland. Let them not keep Ireland in a second-rate position, as footstool to Britain, and the clouds oi misunderstanding would disappear. Ireland would then willingly forget the past. There were St. Patrick's celebrations in the various States, some of which have annually observed the day as a public holiday. March 19. The Stockowners' Association are petitioning the Premier to exterminate the rabbits, owing to their great increase and the consequent national loss. The pastoralists suggest offering- a reward-^of £50,^)00 for an effective scheme. A party of expert Japanese, headed by Mazo Nitobe, Director of Productive Industries, deputed by the Government of Formosa to inquire into the colonial methods of farming, especially sugargrowing, have arrived here. Nitobe predicts a large trade between Australia and the East. March 20. There has been stormy weather on thd coastal districts during the last few days, but so far it is insufficient to augment the water supply. A scheme having been mooted in theatrical circles to erect a monument to Misses Sallie Booth and Ada Lee (actresses), Mr Charles Arnold cabled from Auckland that he had ordered a monument, and therefore there was no need of subscriptions. Under the alien immigration law the captain of a Geraian steamer 'was fined £10 in each case for allowing two pro- • liihited aliens to escape ashore. The editor of the Hokkai Times has arrived, as special commissioner of the Japan^^e Government, to inquire into Australian administrative systems, particularly land .settlement. .He visits New Zealand. The action of the Federal House in "-trikins from the ciLstoms exemptions li-t articles imported by State Government ha« resulted in the State commencing an action for the recovery of damages again-t the Federal Collector of Customs. Noumcan new- states that a quantity ot wreckage, consisting of wooden fittings, apparently belonging to a steamer, including a switchboard with some electric light burners, attached to a piece of wood, evidently part of a boat, bearing the name *' Ajar," were washed a-liore at Tuoho. There has been lougb weather recently off the coa«t. March 21. An exten-ive rich discovery of ciim.ibai i- reported from Yass>. Gooxl rains have fallen in the coastal districts. So far, nland districts have not participated to any extent. The steamer Mambare, from the New Hebrides reports that a tribal war is raging at Tanna. Many have bepn captured, killed, and eaten. One body wa« buried for 12 days before being eaten. Since the Mambare's last visit to th« island 51 per-on- wore killed in variou: tribal encounters. The Rev. Mr Pator went to the battlefield at the ri.-k of hi life to attend the wounded. Several severe shocks of carlluju.-' . have been experienced lately, and c:\u-ocl much damage to the various islands. The earthquakes were followed by a tidn.l wave loft high, which washed away ,he tiadc sheds and many Mnall craft. March, 22. Mr John Smedley, the English temperance lecturer, has -arrived to conduct a em-ado under the au-pices of_ tho Women's Chri-tian Temperance Union. He will remain a week in Sydney, and then proceed to New Zealand. A large section of the tea trade strongly condemn the abolition of the duty on tea. They -ay that it means a large loss to tho revr-nue, is a cruel blow to the trade, and will benefit no one, not even the consumer. The Queensland and South Australian State Treasurers consider the abolition, a most inopportune curtailing of the revenue, and assert that it spells a vigorous curtailment of the expenditure, and probably further taxation. It i- understood that an effort will b(, made in the Federal House to recommit the question ot tea, Mr Barton <-trongi; (-importing. BRISBANE, March 18. At noon yesterday 551 miles of c.ibU had boon laid. Tho rate of paying ou'. l- over eight knuU an hour. March 19. A f>ro at Henidorffor's piano ware-hou-o did .i l.i rgo amount of damage. The ln-ur.ince-, which are understood to be under the 10-s, include £3490 in the National of Kw Zealand, and £1650 in tin New Zealand Insurance Company, PERTH, March 22. Mi-s Amy Castles, the Victorian vocalist, has returned froir England. Jshc had an enthusiastic welcome.