THE FEDERAL TARIFF.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 4899, 12 October 1901, Page 4

THE FEDERAL TARIFF.

Sydney, October 9.

Amongst the points in the Budget are a proposal for s 1 per cent, sinking fund, with a provision that the Government shall buy back its own stock.

South Australia gains £45,000 from the Dew duties, while Tasmania loses £136,000. Queensland also loaeß. *If Taamanift asks iot assistance we are in honor bound to asaist,' declared the Federal Treasurer. The aid will take the form of an advance without interest for a few years. Omitting narcotics and stimulants, the tariff averages 22 90 per cent., while with these articles included 34 99 per cent, is the average. There is a duty of Is to Is 6d per gallon on beer ; spirits, 14b per gallon j wines, 12s ; tobacco, 3s 6d per lb ; Bugar, 6s to 10s per cwt ; butter and cheese, 3d per lb ; eggs, 6d per dozen ; fresh fish and oysters, 2s per cwt; hope, 6d per lb ; "meats, fish, poultry, and game, Id per lb ; tinned meatß, 2d per lb ; onions, Is per cwt ; potatoes, Is per cwt; mineral water, 20 per cent, ad valoiem ; tea, 2d per lb and 20 per cent, ad valorem ; textile fabrics, 10 to 20 per cent, ad valorem; linotypes, similar to printing machinery, exempted ; timber, dressed, 3s per 100 superficial feet; undressed, 28 6d ; timber, undressed, in sizes of 12in by 6iu in size, 7in by 2£in, and lees than 12in by 6in, Is 6d ; New Zealand pine, undressed, of sizes 12m by 6in or over, is exempted. The ' Daily Telegraph ' states that Australia to-day staggers under the heaviest tariff she has ever been called on to bear, aud that tbe tariff is higher than the average in the bix States. This is tbe price which Aubtralia has to pay in order to protect Victoria's exotic industries. Taken as a whole, the tariff is burdensome, and will not yield so handsomely to the treasury as anticipated. The ' Herald ' says that Jespite the Premier's talk of a revenue-producing tariff rather than a partly protective one, the opinion will prevail that it is Protectionist in character. The Government have carefully given a measure of protection to dairy farmers and agriculturist , which cannot be of much value for a time, mainly as against New Zealand produce. Objection will also be taken to the composite nature of the tariff, which will not give satisfaction in this State. Leading business men interviewed re the tariff saj it will be interesting to watch how severe it will be on Hew Zealand. No doubt tbe duties will tremendously curtail trade between New Zealand and Australian ports. It must be admitted that the higher duties is the price we are paying for going into federation, and the loss of her principal outside market is the price which New Zealand \s going to pay for stopping out. Melboueite, October 9.

The 'Age' says that, while the tariff contains many admirable features, it wilt scarcely make good the ardent Protectionist claims of the Government.

The ' Argus ' says that tbe tariff will absolutely please nobody. The bigh-tariffists* dream is vanished, while, on the other band, far too many absolutely protective duties are left to be applied to other parts of Australia where not hitherto in force.

The common clover forma a splendid illustration of the sleep of plants. Every evening, as the sun goes down, two leaves fold together, face to facs, while the third closes over them. Geo. Elliot's fine story, " Adam Bedo," is given away with 6lbs Book Gift Tea. Ask you grocer for catalogue of 500 good books cbac are given free with fumous Book Gift Tea. ' The longest-lived people have generally been those who made breakfast their principal meal. The stomach has more vigor in the morning than at any other time. Many fathers encourage their sons to smoke and see no harm in it, while others are very much advene to tHa habit. We think the best way to ultimately cheok the practice is to point out and teach the young the hurtful nature of the occupation, which proceeding would do mere to lessen it than bundles of Acts.— Manawatu 'Evening Standard.' A Testimonial from Old England. ' I consider Chamberlain's Cough Remedy the best. in the world for bronchitis,' aaya Mr William Savory, of Warrington, England. 'It has saved my wife's life, she having been a martyr to bronchitis for over six years, being most of the time confined to her bed. She is now quite well.' It is a great pleasure to the manufactureraof Chamberlain's Cough Remedy to ba able to publish testimonials of thia character. They show that great good is being done, pain and suffering relieved and valuable lives restored to health and happiness by this remedy. It is for sale by R. S. Poison, chemist. Price, Is 6d ; big size, 3s.

There iB said to be a lake in Kansas which, when frozen, can be sot on fire. It is quite an easy matter, for one has only to make a hole in the ice, and hold a lighted match to it to get a flame sft oc 6ft high, which will barn for a minute or two. The secret is simply that under the ice natural gaa collects in the form of bubbles, and a skaier can pierce one of these bubbles with a chisel, and procure a beautiful blaze at which to warm himself. In some parts of the lake this warm gas is plentiful enough to prevent it fretzing. Doniphan Lake, as this wonderful lake is called, is in a bend of the Missouri, about four miles north of Aitchison.

Captain Gilbert MVir, in his Maori census report (for Waikato, Thames, Raglan, and other districts) says :— ' The inordinate use of tobacco, and, worse atill, vile cigarettes and crude tobaccoleaf (torori) is really becoming a frightful curse, and must be checked if the race is to continue. It is not unusual to see mothers give Infants their pipes to quieten them, and so strong a hold has smoking obtained that it is a deadly privation to keep a Maori from smoking for half-an hour at a stretch. I believe it would prove a great boon if a email pamphlet containing simple rales of eanitaiioa vrece printed and widely circulated, warning natives of the dangers of inordinate use of tobacco, sleeping on the ground, and drinking Maori tea, etc.'

BURDENS ABE MANY.

NEW ZEALAND PEOPLE HAVE XHEIE •