Page:Speech by Sir John Forrest - Western Australia - 1900.pdf/16

 doing it. (Applause.) I would like to say in that respect, of course, we have a great advantage over the other colonies which have no such power reserved to them in the Commonwealth Bill.

Then there is the wine-producer, who thinks he is going to be ruined. The wine-producer has had protection for many years. The present duty is at the rate of 6s. 6d. per gallon on wine imported, so that wine that costs 2s. per gallon in South Australia cannot be imported into this colony, without freight, at less than 8s, 6d.

Tt cannot be expected that people are going to have protection for ever in regard to the things they require for their daily wants. The only justification for protection on the necessaries of life, as far as I can see, is that it will ultimately cheapen the production. That is the only justification I can see for it. I do not think, in regard to those things which they want every day and which everyone must have, that the people are going to pay for ever higher prices than they need. (Applause.) There is another point I would like to mention for the information of the producer and those who wish to have protection—it is this, if we do not join now, but join in a year or two, we must then join on the basis of absolute intercolonial free-trade, for the Federal Parliament has no power whatever to admit any new State except on the basis of intercolonial free-trade, which is the fundamental principle of the Commonwealth Bill. (Applause.) I do not think it is possible to analyse figures and say we are going to lose this or that. The customs tariff was reduced in 1895 and again in 1896, and was amended in 1898 to some extent. I have asked Mr. Owen, the Government Actuary, to give me some figures, as to the operation of the reduction in our tariffs. Notwithstanding those reductions the revenue now is nearly as great as before. If the same trade had been done, the revenue from customs since 1895, on those articles which have been placed on the free list, would have amounted to more than £500,000, but I do not believe that if those duties had been in force they would have received an additional half-million from customs into the Treasury, I believe the more money people have to spend, the more they enjoy themselves, and the more luxuries they use, and the revenue is stimulated thereby. We all know that New South Wales has only five items on which customs duties are charged, and yet receives one and a half millions out of her customs duties. That shows it does not always follow that by the remission of duties you really lose revenue. Of course, that argument might be carried to an illogical extent. (Laughter.) I should like to say once more to the farmers and manufacturers, if you don't join now, but join at any future time, whether it is one year or more, the terms of joining will be intercolonial free-trade; they can include no protection whatever, it must be on the basis of absolute intercolonial free-trade.

There are two reasons, in my opinion, why we ought to join in the Federation. The first reason is because we cannot help joining, ("Yes, we can," and applause.) Everyone is agreed—I have not heard one public man say otherwise—that Federation is our natural destiny, and the only question we hear people talk about is when it shall come about—now, or later on. Some say five years, others ten years; but I have not heard any public man of any standing say it shall not come at all. For my own part, I say at once to all of you, that if Federation could have been deferred over the whole of Australia for a time, I should not have objected. (Hear, hear.) I think we could have gone on very well as we are, developing our industries. I think it would have been better if it could have been delayed till we were more equal. But we have no choice in the matter, Federation has come about, and we have to decide once and for all whether we shall join Federation or not. One reason why we cannot help joining is that three fifths of our population come from the Eastern colonies. (Applause.) They have their homes and friends there, and have their sympathies with the