The Evening Star. WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, and Echo. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1891.

Auckland Star, Volume XXII, Issue 239, 8 October 1891, Page 4

The Evening Star. WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, and Echo.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1891.

For 'tho C3TL33 '-that 1 lacks as3_staucs, I'cr tho -ctb__ t3_i noc_3 r:-:3ta_oe, For tie future i_4liß distance, _.__ tho good that we can do.

Perhaps no better testimony to the superiority of the climate of New Zealand over that of the most favoured colony of the Australian Continent could have been offered than was afforded by the adoption in the Victorian Legislative Assembly of Sir Bryan O'Loughlin's motion excluding New Zealand from the Australian Federation. Throughout the proceedings at the Convention at Sydney in March last the apprehensions of the Victorians le3t their tarifffostered industries should coliapse under the operation of free trade, more than once imperilled the success of the whole movement. Mr Monro, the Victorian Premier, threatened on one occasion to withdraw with his supporters unless the special interests of Victoria were well safeguarded. It gradually became manifest, however, that the policy of the new Federal Government would unquestionably be intercolonial free trade with tariff protection against all the rest of the world. Under such conditions the Victorians felt themselves

in an exceptionally strong position with; respect to all of their neighbours except New Zealand. They have already obtained a good start in the race. Their , manufacturing capacity exceeds the consuming power of theVictorian people, and it'is impossible to find an outlet in the adjacent colonies so long as the high-priced goods of Victoria have to compete with English wares imported under the light tariff of New South Wales. The adoption of a Federal tariff similar to the one now in force in Victoria would "be followed immediately by an increase in the size and equipment of the Victorian mills. The Melbourne bagman, - already a familiar figure on every intercolonial railway train and steamer, would become übiquitous, and the snost go-ahead and speculative people in Australasia would find a legitimate sphere in which they could employ all those surplus energies that now find vent in more questionable schemes.

Then, with regard to agricultural products, the greater average fertility of Victoria gives it a slight advantage over New South Wales, and a veryconsiderable one over the great graingrowing colony South Australia; But what would be the fate of the Victorian agriculturist who was compelled to fight, againstthe highly favoured farmer of the ; island colony 1 What that competition means may be gathered from the' following statistics, which are culled from the Year Book compiled by Mr H. H. Hayter, Statist to the Victorian, Government: — Average yields from agriculture in Austejil. Asia for year 18SS :— Average Produce per Acre of---. -» . >> g Name of Colony. 2 -% ~c -§ • -.. 5: ° n 1 ■ bsbls. nshls. bshls. fcona, Victoria 7-10 14-20 13-55 3-04; New South Wales 4"76 13-77 11 -OS 2-3g South Australia... 3"55 6-00 7-00 2% New Zealand ... 2422 29-89 31-15 5% Year 1889. Victoria 9-75 23-S7 20-18 3-33 New South Wales 15-65 24-30 20-79 2-85 South Australia... 7-91 12-77 12-54 _-74 New Zealand ... 25-15 32-09 31-67 5-22 Year 1890. Victoria ... ... H'l3 22-25 17-91 3-79 New South Wales 10-95 18-20 16-48 2-72 South Australia 562 9-32 12-13 3-62 New Zealand ... 18-99 28-73 25' IS 5--15 • With a duty of a shilling a bushel, Victoria cannot exclude New Zealand oats, and under free trade the chances are that this cereal would almost go out of cultivation on the Australian Continent. It was this prospect that terrified the Victorian Assembly into the adoption of Sir Bryan O'Loughlin's motion. The Legislative Council, however, have taken a broader view of the great issues involved in the problem of a Federated Australasia. They recognise that with community of interests there- must also be community of sacrifice, and they/.have struck out the anti-New Zealand clause from the amended sFederal Constitu? tion sent to them from the Represent--. i tive Chamber. At present it does not I seem probable that New Zealand will I take advantage of the privilege offered to her. Without a federation of rublic debts this colony afford to surrender control over the chief sources of its revenue. That the assumption by the Federal Government of all existing debts must precede any general acceptance of federation in Australasia is a growing conviction among the public men who have made this subject a special study.