IF NEW ZEALAND STANDS ALOOF.

Auckland Star, Volume XXX, Issue 209, 4 September 1899, Page 5

IF NEW ZEALAND STANDS ALOOF.

THE PROBABLE EFFECT

(By Telegraph—Parliamentary Reporter.)

WELLINGTON', this day

A representative of the Dunedin Star, who has just returned from Sydney, has been making exhaustive inquiries there as to the effect on New Zealand should she stand aloof from the federation movement.

The New South Wales Premier, Mr Reid, urged prompt action, pointing out that if public men in New Zealand really mean union with Australia, every day is important, and delay is dangerous, and may prove costly. A prompt and cordial advance now made would be looked on as a brotherly overture, but if overtures are delayed till the Australian tariff is up and then made from a. business point of view, viz., to secure n market for New Zealand products, the result would not likely be entirely beneficial. - Mr Reid liolds strongly that New Zealand must, if federated, have greater influence in National affairs in'the Pacific than she can ever hope to have by holding aloof from the federal movement.

Dr. MacLaurin, head of the AntiBillite Party, confesses it would be folly for New Zealand to enter into federation on the mere idea of sentiment, because there never can be reaT homogeneity between two countries so unlike in their characteristics and separated by 1200 miles of stormy ocean. It is a question for the Pakeha*s themselves to consider whether material benefits would attain from federation sufficiently great to justify their submitting to inconveniences which are inseparable from it.

Mr Barton pointed out that Mr Seddon had, in answer to a. question put in Parliament, given |he existence of certain, power to make reciprocity treaties as a treason why the question of federation, in its aspect of interstate :free trade, had no urgency for New Zealand. Now,* it should be borne in mind that no existing legislation san empower any reciprocity treaty with a Government not yet in existence. Even if New Zealand had power to conclude a reciprocity treaty with "Any or all of the Australian colonies," that would not confer statu- | tory power to conclude a treaty or agreement, upon all the Australian colonies when federated. Consequently, as soon as federation was | accomplished in Australia, it would be necessary for New Zealand to obtain from the Imperial Parliament a fresh grant and power to make reciprocal arrangements with the new feder- | ation. This, he mentioned, would ! show that no existing legislation can confer the security which Seddon appears to attribute to it as to the willingness of Australia when federj ated to enter into such relations when : entrance into them was authorised.

Mr Barton thinks that the question will' depend on the consideration whether the colony making overtures for. a reciprocal treaty is one whose adhesion to the Commonwealth would be deemed of mutual advantage in such a case. Reciprocity was altogether improbable if it was sought as a means of staving off a desirable inclusion in the federation.

Prominent commercial gentlemen expressed the opinion that the public men of New Zealand, relying on the continuance of present trade arrangements after federation is accomplished, were depending on what would prove to be a broken reed. One of the.strongest levers in the hands of the Commonwealth woxild-'be a'-high tariff, which would shut out New Zea-

land products until such time as that colony made up its mind that she had got to come in. He met the gibe that present agitation to bring New Zealand within the federal fold was inspired solely by commercial reasons, with the reply uiat the present opposition of that colony was not merely personal nor political, but was opposition by those "now holding the reins of" power there, who feared that, if merged into a general federation scheme, their own positions and standing would be lowered in the Australian new world, and perhaps m the big- world.

SIR MAURICE O'RORKE INTERVIEWED.

Interviewed on federation Sir G. WO'Eorke .said he bad always been m favour of drawing- connection close with the Australian colonies, and lie considered it very short sighted on the part of the New Zealand Parliament to have refrained for so many years from giving- an opinion on the subject. He thought it would bc> a vital blow to grain-growers of New Zealand if Australian ports were closed to their produce, which would in his opinion inevitably come to pass when federation took place. He thought it would be a great pity if New Zealand wa's excluded from participating in vast quantities of land, much of which is still unoccupied, in Australia. He frequently went over to Australia and visited the cities of Brisbane, Sydney. Melbourne, and Adelaide, and he had often expressed a wish that there might be a law passed to compel every New Zealarider to g-o to Australia at least, once in his lifetime and see the big' cities there. He regarded Australasian federation as a great Imperial desire to draw these colonies closer together. There was no doubt that some kind of representation would be given to the Australian colonies when they were federated with the Empire, and New Zealand would look very small if shut out of the Federated Empire. He thought the people of New Zealand would take the matter of federation in hand and insist on some steps being- taken over the heads of their politicians, just as in New South Wales, where three ministers and many members were rejected owing to their hostility to the proposal. The matter would, lie believed, be brought forward in a very prominent manner at the general elections.