AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8259, 12 October 1906, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

IMPERIAL CONFERENCE. Received Ootober 11, 9.50 a.m. MELBOURNE!, October 11. A paper tabled in the Federal House of Representatives gives the following subjects suggested by the Federal Parliament for consideration at the Imperial Oouferenoe next year:—< An Imperial Council. Preferential trade and international relations. An Imperial Court of Appeal. ImDerial defence of merchant shipping and coastwise trade. Organisation of the Colonial Office. Imperial stamp charges on colonial bonds. Islands of the Paoiflc. Emigration. Silver ooinage, deoimal coinage, aad the metrical system. Mutual protection throughout the Empire. SOUTH AUSTRALIAN PARLIAMENT DISSOLVED. Reoeived October 11, 9„28 a.m. ADELAIDE, October 11. After the Houue of Assembly and the Legislative Counoil bad passed supply, as requested hy the Premier (Mr Price), the Governor prorogued Parliament. Subsequently a Gazette was issued dissolving the Assembly, Polling day has teen fixed for November 3rd. RESULT OF A BY-ELECTION. Reoeived October 9, 11, 9,28 a.m. MELBOURNE, Ootober 11. The by-election for Toorak has resulted in the return of Mr Bayles (Ministerialist). INTER-STATE CONFERENCE. Reoeived Ootober 11, 9.4 a.m. MELBOURNE, October 11. The Inter-State Conference has adopted a resolution, that before altering the Constitution the Commonwealth should give financial security to the States, and that both the Commonwealth and States should be rendered financially independent. The aonferenoe then proceeded to disoues the financial proposals. THE NEW ZEALAND J3OWLKRS. Reoeived Ootober 12, 12.33 a.m. SYDNEY, October 11. The New Zealand bowlers left shortly after their arrival for Brisbane. They will be given an official reception on returning to Sydney on Wednesday next. They play the intercolonial match on Ootober 20th. BETIINU NEWS. 7 Received October 12, 1.22 a.m. SYDNEY, October 11. In tho Assembly the AttorneyGeneral Intimated that he was considering the question of whether papers from other colonies containing betting news would be allowed to ciroulate in New &outh Wains. JAPANESE! PREFERENCE TREATY. STATEMENT BY MR KIDSTON. Reoeived Ootober 11, 9.30 a.m. MELBOURNE, October 11. Mr Kidston, the Premier of Queensland, who is attending the Inter-State Conference, explains as regards the Japanese preference treaty about 1898, when the Australian States were separate, a treaty was completed between Britan and Japan. Queensland accepted the treaty, but no other Australian State took advantage of it. The treaty practically remained in existenoH! up tj the present time. Queensland had not for some years had any negotiations cn the subject, and the present development came as a surprise. The only explanation Mr Kidston could offer was that Mr Jones, the Queensland Commissioner in the East, had possibly unearthed the specially advantageous position in Which Queensland stood, and had secured an advantage over all the other States. The only other explanation was that possibly the Japanese Legislature, in altering the tariff had provided for the "most favoured" nation treatment to Britain and the other parties to the original trepty, and might have overlooked the faot that Queensland was no longer able to oarry out her obligations in regard to immigration, that matter having now passed to the control of the Commonwealth. It is a curious position. Under the treaty, which is supposed to be reciprocal, Queensland is obtaining special trade advantages over other parts uf Australia, while not in a position to give reciprocal advantages to Japan. /

CABLE NEWS.

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