New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-09-11
THE TARIFF IN AUSTRALIA.

The Australian Commonwealth is formed:
now for Australian politics. which hither-
to has been nOn-existent. Each province has,
of course, had its political parties, generally
taking their names from the parties of the
mother country. But these have been vaguely
organized with scarcely the slightest relation
or resemblance to the British organizations
from which their names were taken, and they
have been based on either local ephemeral
issues. OF definite party organizations. based
on definite and permanent principles, there has
been scarcely a trace, even on a provincial
scale; of such on a general or national scale
throughout all the provinces. absolutely nothing.
With the union of the various provinces into
a single commonwealth. under a general federal
government, the creation of such parties be-
comes necessary. We have before US, then, the
unique spectacle Of a nation of several million
intelligent people of our own race and speech
without political parties setting to work to
create parties and political issues de nOvo.
Interesting such a spectacle must be, and prob
ably instructive.
It is probable, indeed we may say certain,
that the paramount issue in the division Of
parties will be the tariff. That has been the
chief issue in several of the colonies in such
politics they have hitherto had. Some of
the colonies have inclined toward protection,
much to the fore, too, in the earlier discussions
of confederation. Now that confederation is
accomplished it becomes Of vastly greater i'm
pOrtance than before. We have said that Aus
tralan party names have been borrowed from
Great Britain. But on this question they are APP
piled in contrary fashion. In Great Britain the
Liberals have been champions of free trade,
while the Conservatives have inclined toward
protection. In Australia the Conservatives
pride themselves on their superintense loyalty
to the mother country and for that reason favor
free trade. since that is England's policy. while
the Liberals, incllning toward greater degree
Of colonial independence. favor protection on
the ground that it is best for the colonies.
There is third party, the socalled Labor
party, which probably holds ample balance
of power. and which, instead of nominating
candidates OF its own. is likely 10 give its aid
to one or the other of the two first named
That this labor vote will be given to the
Liberals on the issue of protection now seems
pretty well assured Leaders of both the Con
sentative and Liberal parties are seeking
earnestly TO secure il, some arguing that free
trade and others that protection is the better
for the workingman. In addition 10 such argu-
ments the voters have before them in concrete
form interesting illustrations of The effects of
the two systems. For II happens that the two
chief colonies of the confederation have hther-
TO been at variance on the tariff issue. Vic
toria has maintained n protective tariff, while
New South Wales has chung TO free trade
These examples are not, however, entirely con-
elusive, for the reason that tariff between
two colonies of Australia is n very different
thing from a general Australian tariff against
the rest of the world, with free trade among
the colonies. The present prospect is that the
Liberals. with the aid of the labor vote, will
carry the day and that n protective tariff will
be enacted at the first session of the first con
gress Of the new commonwealth. That, with
the marked accumulation Of protection now OBJ
servable in Canada, will form interesting
commentary upon the original pretensions and
prophecies of Golden.