THURSDAY, JULY 13, 1899. SHALL WE FEDERATE?

Auckland Star, Volume XXX, Issue 164, 13 July 1899, Page 4

THURSDAY, JULY 13, 1899. SHALL WE FEDERATE?

The attendance at the meeting held yesterday evening in the V.M.C.A. Rooms may be taken as a proof that! our interest in Australian Federation j is increasing, and that we are beginning to recognise that before long one of the most important questions we shall have to consider will be the relation of this colony towards the j great Commonwealth. It would be entirely premature to endeavour to' answer that question at this moment, and to say whether it is our clear duty and interest to enter the Federation, or to remain a distinct colony apart from it. The -problem of what is our best course is not to be solved offhand, I and any attempted solution of that j character cannot be treated with i much consideration. It is certain to j be the result rather of prejudice and sentiment than of a perfect understanding of the question. There is no one in New Zealand, so far as we are aware, who has studied the matter so closely, and has the experience which no mere study can give, that he is in a position to speak the final word on the attitude our colony should assume in respect to the Federal movement; and as for the overwhelming majority, they are entirely ignorant regarding it. Though Federation has been in the Australian air for a long time now it has until recently excited scarcely a particle of interest in New Zealand. Even such an event as the rejection of the Enabling Bill last year was scarcely noticed here; and the success of the measure last month, which begat in one day, as it were, a national sentiment in Australia, moved us exceedingly little. Not one man in a thousand here knew. what, had been done, and even that one was very hazy as to the actual results of the movement. How many are there who could give even a bare resume of the chief points in the Federal Constitution and explain in what particulars the relations of the colonies under the Commonwealth will differ from those that now exist between them? They would be very few; and still fewer are those who can pretend to say what the position .of New Zealand will be in the Commonwealth or out of it.

The proceedings at yesterday's

meeting entirely bear out our contention. It was very plain that the speakers in advocating that New Zealand should join the Federation were actuated by sentiment and prejudice. For ourselves, we own that we share the same sentiment and prejudice, but we refuse to be entirely goaded by them, as some of the speakers at the meeting would appear to wish. We feel in sympathy with the first resolution to this extent, that it voices that sentiment, but it appears to us somewhat of a farce for a body of citizens to commit themselves so unreservedly to the approval of a scheme which they cannot possibly xmderstand completely. Mr Button who moved this resolution explained briefly the character of the change which Australia contemplated, but it is not to be supposed that a mere cursory recitation of the leading- features, of.the Constitution is sufficient evidence fdr people who are quite new to the subject on which to form an instantaneous opinion that is worth much. With regard to the second resolution, in its original form it was still more open to adverse comment; and eventually, in deference to the views of the meeting, it had to be changed. It was, "That, in the opinion of this meeting, the time has arrived when the attention of the people and Parlia- | ment of New Zealand should be earaI estly directed to this great question; that New Zealand has much to gain politically, commercially, and socially by easting1 in her lot and becoming one of the Federated States, thus consummating an Australasian Federation; that delay may be fraught with danger to the interests of the colony." With the first clause no objection can be found, but to declare so emphatically that this colony will be taking the best course for herself was a somewhat hasty conclusion to arrive at on the premises furnished; and the discussion that followed the moving of the resolution did not add any arguments in favour of indiscriminate haste to .ally ourselves with Australia. Those present evidently recognised this, fou*when the motion was carried it was altered to read, "New Zealand may have much to gain." The next motion: "That in the opinion of this meeting the time- has arrived when the Parliament of New Zealand should be asked to submit the Commonwealth Bill to the vote of the electors of the colony," is, we think, free from objection. It is not to be supposed that it will result immediately in the application of the referendum to the question at issue; but H is ap effectual way of bringing that question quickly into prominence and focussing on it the study and I attention of the people of the colony. With the chief principle embodied in the resolution, we must nil feel in accord. Of course it is for the people of New Zealand, and not the Parliament, to say whether we shall federate with Australia or not. The final resolution is really the most important of all: It provides for what we want more than anything e l se —more light on this question than we now have. By all means let us have an Australasian Federation League, with branches throughout the colony, to develop and formulate a public opinion here, based on a commonsense understanding of the whole matter. That is really the first step to take, and if the League prospers in its work its success will itself be an evidence that New Zealand is ripe for Federation, and will have prepared : the way for the consummation of an ideal which appeals most strongly to the love of unity inherent in every citizen of the Empire. The general feeling throughout the colony would doubtless be in favour of union with Australia as against isolation, and it only requires to be shown that our advantage would lie in the same direction. That has never yet been clearly demonstrated. Beyond the fears expressed by commercial men that Australia will shut her doors on our products we have heard little that really bears on the point. And, as for these fears, they are chiefly hypothetical. It is quite true that the Protectionist party in Australia, which would of course include those agriculturalists with whose products ours might compete, would favour heavy, duties being imposed on our goods. But, on .the other hand, there is a, powerful freetrade party in the continent whose views would greatly influence the attitude of Australia towards the outside world.