THE COMMONWEALTH.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LV, Issue 14131, 10 February 1910, Page 7

THE COMMONWEALTH.

SPEECH BY AIR. FISHER. By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright. (Received Feb. 10, 10.45 a.m.) BRISBANE, Fob. 10. Air. Andrew Fisher, in the course of a speech, said lie was opposed to wages boards, and urged tho necessity to give greater power to tho Federal Parliament to protect workers. Ho claimed that his Government was responsible for the initiation of tho Australian, naval defence scheme, and was tho first to- put the idea into concrete form. Tile inclusion of the financial arrangements with the States in the constitution would, ho said, prove, embarrassing to the people of Australia, becausfe it would be impossible to have a Protectionist tariff and a large revenue from the Customs. If they were going to have a Protectionist country, and lie believed they wore, very high duties would be required to defray the expenses of federation and the payment of 25s to tho States. Ho urged tho people to trust the Federal Parliament to do justice to the States. If justice was not done tho people had the remedy at the next election.