Intercolonial Reciprocity.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 7202, 8 February 1895, Page 2

Intercolonial Reciprocity.

Sydney, Feb. 7. The Sydney Morning Herald say 3 some interest attaches to the experiment in intercolonial reciprocity entered upon between South Australia and New Zealand. The arrangement by which the- products of one colony are admitted into another, it says, is hardly a point requiring an experiment to demonstrate ; but the essence of experiment is reached at a much earlier stage. The real point at issue is that the treaty is a provisional one, and must be endorsed by the Parliaments of such colonies. The arranging of such a treaty is not wholly a new thing in these colonies, as several years ago such an agreement was entered into between the Governments of Victoria and Tasmania, but no sooner had the Victorian Minister, who took part in the business got back, than there was such a muttering of opposition from the interests which believed themselves threatened, that the Ministry of the day did not venture to ask Parliament to ratify the agreement. This, the Herald says, does not alter the fact that the present arrangement has a great interest, as showing the growing feeling in favour of that free interchange of products of those ampler markets, which can only be secured by the political union of the colonies. Adelaide, Feb. 8. Before leaving for England, the Hon. Mr Ward stated he had received a telegram uotifyiug that his Government generally approved of the reciprocal treaty, but one qualification was made that the agreement will have to terminate, should the. New Zealand Parliament' adopt a prohibition of liquor law. The treaty will come into force on July 20th. Locally the arrangement is strongly condemned in commercial circles, and is described as a stab in the back to any great scheme of fedeiation with intercolonial freetrade. It is considered to be not only anti-federal in spirit, but likely to provo of little or no benefit in actual trading when compared with the antagonism probably created in other colonies. Wellington* to-day. The arrangement about the reciprocity treaty with South Australia is that it shall not come into force till July 21. This is to. give Parliament time to consider it.