FEDERAL MINISTERS' OPINION.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7722, 4 June 1903, Page 2

FEDERAL MINISTERS' OPINION.

{Received June 4, 10.5 a?m.) MELBOURNE, June A Mr Kingston, replying to Mr Smith, •declared for preferential trade" within the Empire, thinking that ib might take the form of retaining the duties against Britain, *. but increasing the tariff against foreigners. ' Ifc was their duty to help the Imperial Ministers in every possible way, and to let them know that Australia supports and wishes them success. Sir E. Barton has supplied the follow-" ing to the London Press as his view:—" It is certain that unless Britain armed herself with power to meet by retaliation fiscal,,!^ attacks by foreigners on her 'colonies or- ' herself, and was prepared to exercise such! powers, closer fiscal relations within the Empire by way of tariff preference would be . difficult, if .not impossible. This method of establishing such relations had been characterised as artificial and unnatural, but if the Empire was to be viewed as a whole, it was hard to discover the meaning or justice of such epithets. He was strongly .in favour of making arrangements by which trade between the various parts of the Empire and the Mother Coun* try may be distinctly favoured and de? veloped, subject to the continued freedom of each self-governing part with regard to its own fiscal policy. Under such conditions preferential arrangements were 'not ' only more practicable, but a great deal easier to bring about, and their accomplishment would be of enormous advantage ta the Empire.