Windsor & Richmond Gazette, Saturday, February 24, 1900 - page 1 TOPIC of the DAY The Federal Conference which was held in Sydney last week was a very funny affair, the members being at sixes and sevens almost continuously from the beginning to the end of the proceedings. There were two distinct parties in the Conference ; one of them believed in the kind of freetrade advocated by the late Henry George, while the other favoured the taxation of imports for revenue purposes. Mr. Max Hirsch, a delegate from Victoria, was at the head of the former party, whilst Mr. Pulsford and Mr. Bruce Smith captained the latter. The Hirschites got command of the conference during the first day, but on the second day part of the advantage they had gained was taken away from them. The ultimate result was the adoption of a fighting platform for the federal elections which was the most indefinite thing of the kind ever constructed. The resolution which the conference ultimately carried was that it would support only those candidates who pledged themselves to keep the fed! eral tariff as low as possible. If the spirits of Cobden and Bright are cognizant of the proceedings in the conference, and if they retain any human passions, they must feel complete contempt towards the members of the conference. The resolution was a virtual admission that the federal tariff must be a high one, particularly as it was explained that several of the States would not stand additional land and income taxation. If a so called freetrade candidate declares that in his opinion duties amounting to 20 per cent ad valorem will be necessary to finance the Commonwealth Government and the respective States, and if he gives good arguments, as it will be easy for him to do, in support of his assertion, the Conference will be under an obligation to support him ; and yet all the New South Wales representatives in the conference vehemently opposed the Dibbs ad valorem duties, ranging from 10 to 15 per cent on the ground that they were opposed to freetrade principles! More! over, with one or two exceptions, these representatives supported the Commonwealth Bill, although they were aware that its adoption would involve the imposition of duties upon all imports amounting to more than 15 per cent. From what has been stated it will be seen that the freetraders will go into the federal electioneering campaign heavily handicapped, so heavily handicapped, indeed, that it is almost impossible they can win. Blunderers is a mild term to use as descriptive of the majority of their leaders.