FEDERATION.

Auckland Star, Volume XXII, Issue 93, 23 April 1891, Page 2

FEDERATION.

(To the Editor.) Sir,—Will you pormib me to say a few words on this important subject '! Ana first with regard to free trade, whicb is supposed to be going to confer such 'at) enormous benenb on New Zealand, what does Australia produce which Now Zealand does not produce better? What benefit should we derive from extended trade with Au»tralia ? Lot us look forward und see what; Australia is likely to bo in the future. There are vast territories within that island continent where the white man cannot labour and live —where the labour must be done by alien races with whom the Anglo-Saxon has no affinity, yet with whom he must wreeble and competo if he is to maintain hie position as the dominant power in a polyglot confederacy. The Hindoo, the Mongul, the Javernee, and other kindred races must form the bulk of the population of the Australia of the future—they, landing on the shores of her northern territories washed as they are by topid seas on which the white man pinea and fades and dwindles, will filter down to the southern seaboard and permeate the society of the present European colonies and graduully ucquire a preponderance; anil what then ? Let the present condition of Hong Kong furnish the answer. The capitalists of Australia will be compelled by competition to avail themselves of the cheapest labour, and the " mq»n white" will find himself engaged in a struggle for existence with the rice-eating races of the tropics which, can only end in his entire discomfiture. Arid how will this affect New Zealand? Free trade will give the opportunity to pour in hero the produce of alien labour, and competition will compel those who iiiurtt labour to live to soil their labour cheap enough to counteract the attraction of low prices. And what status are these alien races to occupy? Ifc will noO always be possible to keop tihera in subjection by depriving them ot political rights, while if equal rights are conceded it will lead to their establishing an ascendency which will place New Zealand at the mercy of a dominant policracy, which may develop a truculent disposition, or even vote for the annexation of these colonies to China.

Lord VVolseley hae uttered a warning which ib would bo wise for New Zealandors to take note of, and by initiating a polioy of internal development within these islands, establish suoh conditions as will attract to ourselves the flower of the Anglo-Saxon race in Australia, and give us a population capable of defending our shores in aa emergency. And what aid could we reasonably hope to obtain from Australia should such an emergency arise ? Doeu nob Australia herself depend on England for the defence of her shores from invasion ? and while England rules the waves are not we equally protected by the fact that we are a part of the British Empire ? while should a disaster occur to England and the 1,200 miles of ocean intervening between this country and Australia be controlled by a foreign Power, what could Australia do for us 2 Whatever conditions are laid down by che Federal Convention are, of course, subject to amendment, and our interests would hot count for much if they should run counter to the will of the majority in the Federal Parliament. Even now we hear of the dominant South, and there are many who think the abolition of the provinces was a mistake. New Zealand has the right to aspire to a nobler destiny than to become a cipher dragged at) the tail of a piebald or a ikewbald Federation of States, who may adopt an aggressive policy with which we have no sympathy, and which may be inimical to our best interests ; while with regard to finance, let the failure of the South Australian and Victorian loans apeak.—l am, etc.,

Edwin Habvie. Upper Symonds-street, Auckland, April ISfch, 1891.