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RECIPHOCirY WITH QUEENSLAND.
After nearly a lortDignrs aosence the
frecsurcr (Hon. F. W. Holder) returned tc
Adelaide from the _ eastern colonies by tbe
mecial train orrivine from Melbourne on
Sunday, May 25. He was met at North
terrace Station by tho Under-Treasarer (Mr.
T. N. Stephens). The chief object of Mr.
Holder's trip was to confer with the Govern
ment of Queensland on the subject of reci
procity. *or Eomo time past the Goeernmsnt
of this colony, following the action of pre
vious Governments, have been corresponding
with the Government of QaeenaUnd with
reference to a reciprocity treaty in regard to
natural products, but without ooming, to
anything definite. In theloBt ef.Bsion a reso
lution waB carried in the House of Assembly
favouring reciprocity with Queensland and
New South Wales, and not many months ago
a deputation from the Chambers of Com
merce and Manufactures waited upon the
Treasurer requesting him to do his utmost to
prefB the matter to an issue with tbe Govern
menta of those colonies. Accordingly on May
12 Mr. Holder left AdelaldB for Sydney and
Brisbane. On hie way to Brisbane he had
an interview with iho Colonial Treasurer of
New South Wales (Hon. W. McMillan), bat
Mr. Holder ' cculd not auoosed in doing any
thing.' Upon arrival in Brisbane he plivcsd
hfmfelf In communication with the members
of tbe Government, merchant*, sngar
planters, members of the Chamber bi Com
nerce, and others, and had an Interviow with
tbe Colonial Treasurer (Hon. J. Donaldson).
FoRether the two v Treasurers spent Borne
sours in discussing the whole matter.
Both had returns prepared, whioh they
ised as a basts for consideration.
6b a result of thia and other interviews an
understanding was arrived at upon whioh
Mr. Holder believes there ia 6very proap*»ot
:-f a Buccefisfal arrangement being nogol'-
ited fcetwepn the Cabinets of Smith
Australia and QueonBland. The Trea
surer could cot go into details, but
itsttd tbat tho bads proceeded xioon the
W£geatio.atb&t Sratb AuitralU Bhguld con
cede a part of the duties on Queensland
sugar imported into this colony, and that, on
the other hand, Queensland Bhould concede
an equivalent amount of duties levied oa
the natural products whioh she reoelvei
from us, The items suggested for the
remission of duty on the part of Queens
land are wheat, bran, pollard, chaff*
wine, and preserved and tunned finite
from this colony in exchange for Queensland
sugar, the duty on which ia quite sufficient
to balance those on the natural products -
whioh South Australia exports to Queens
land. Mr. Holder could not speak positively
as to the tuccess of the efforts of the South
Australian Government in relation to a
reciprocal tariff ' beoausothe federal spirit,'
to use his own words ' does not appear to
have developed sufficiently to allow of the
free interchange of articles of natural pro
ducts.' While in Brisbane the Treasurer
had several conversations with Ministeri,
Sir Samuel Griffith and others on Aus
tralian federation, but thesa were quite
of an informal character, and do con
clusions were arrived at. Mr. Holder
speaks in tbe highest terms of 4tbs
courteous treatment whioh be received at
tbe hands of the members of the Queensland
Government and others whom he met. On
his return to south he stayed a day and a
b»lf in Sydney, attending tho Wesleyan
General Conference, to which he waB a dele
gate from tbe South Australian Conference*
and then came direct to Adelaide. His trip
throughout waa of a somewhat hurried
nature, most of the time being ooDupIed In
travelling, whioh alone took up eight days and
nigbtB. He arrived in Brisbane on the Satur
day morning after he left here, and qutttedthe
Queensland capital on the following Tuesday.
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