Mr THOMAS BROWN (Calare) . - This seems to be a revenue duty rather than a proposal to give any encouragement to the production of rubber in Australia. I shall not, however, discuss that phase of the question. I understand that in Papua efforts are being made, with considerable promise of success, to develop the rubber industry, but that imports from that territory are treated as if they came from a foreign country, no preference being allowed in respect of them. There should be a closer commercial relationship between the Commonwealth and Papua, and, since it is proposed under this item to allow a preference of 5 per cent. in the case of imports from the United Kingdom, I suggest that a similar preference should be allowed in respect of imports from Papua.

Mr Thomas - Why not make such imports from Papua free?

Mr THOMAS BROWN -By all means. I thought that the Government were in need of revenue from this source, and therefore did not ask for morethan a preference of 5 per cent.