RECIPROCITY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10416, 21 March 1912, Page 1

RECIPROCITY.

COMMONWEALTH A.VD DOMINION. [From Our Correspondent.]

WELLINGTON, March 20.

Australian statesmen are very sympathetically inclined towards reciprocity with this country on many important matters. Mr T. E. Y. Seddon, member for Westlancl, who got into touch with several ot the leaders of political thought in the Commonwealth during his brief visit, was quite impressed with their keen interest in this question. "In Melbourne J. met Mr Deakin, who is now in Opposition," said Mr Seddon to a representative of the " Lyttelton Times." "He talked about tho reciprocal treaty between Australia and New Zealand which my father arranged with him, and he still hopes that it will be brought about. I also saw Mr Andrew Fisher, the Federal Prime Minister, who immediately raised the question ot reciprocal arrangements with this domfhion in regard to the Workers Compensation Act. He was surprised to find that I had brought forward an amendment only last year to provide for such a reciprocal arrangement, and he promised to do his best to KTiire a provision of the sort in the legislation of the Australian States. He pointed out that-.,this was a matter for the States •and not the Commonwealth. I instanced cases of widows of miners who had worked at Waihi and We.stport who failed to obtain compensation because they were resident in Australia, and Mr Fisher repeated that he would do his utmost, to get the States to agree to mutual recognition of compensation claims between New Zealand and themselves.

" Mr Fisher is very anxious to have a reciprocal arrangement with NewZealand with regard to the old ago pension system so as to remove tho disqualification now nr.-railing in the case of those who reside for a time out of their native State. Vie believes that if an applicant has suent his time in any part of Australasia it should count, for pension in his native State. He is very keen on tbis point, and when lie conies to New Zealand, as he hopes to do in the course of a few weeks, he will probably raise tho matter with the Government." «