NORFOLK ISLANDS

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXXII, Issue 12844, 30 November 1905, Page 5

NORFOLK ISLANDS

THROTTLING A SETTLEMENT. i _ United Press Association—Per Electric Telegraph—Copyright. Received 10.47 a.m. November 29ic. SYDNEY, November 29. The "Telegraph" says that were the Commonwealth to accept the position now occupied by New South Wales in regard to the administration of Norfolk Island the grip of the tariff which was throttling a helpless little settlement could be relaxed. There was no other way of helping, but apart from that the Federal Government was the proper authority to deal with islands in the Pacific. The present arrangement was .a survival of pre-federal times, and commbnsense called for its abolition. MELBOURNE. November 29. Mr Deakin, the Federal Premier, states that the exports of Norfolk Island are 'treated in exactly the same way as thc<?e of any other country outside the Commonwealth. There was some correspondence seme time ago about ,taking over the administration, but the matter had apparentlv dropped. A.Sydney cable message published vesterday stated that after an interview with the Chief Magistrate of Norfolk Island, Mr Carruthers, Premier of New South Wa!e< stated that the coffee industrv. ana. the whole production had be= v n ruined bv Ihe Federal tariff, and the absence cf ship] ing facilities. He was so impressed with the seriousness of the position that he intended to ask the Federal Government to take over the control of the island.