THURSDAY, MAY 16, 1895.

Evening Post, Volume XLIX, Issue 115, 16 May 1895, Page 2

THURSDAY, MAY 16, 1895.

THE NEW SOUTH WALES POLICY. « Mb. Bus, the Premier of New South Wales, deserves the greatest sympathy in the straggle he is now engaged in. He has, however, shown the courage of his conviotiona in bringing down a statesmanlike and enlightened Free Trade policy. In doing so he has placed himself in the van of colonial statesmen and progress. His boldness and his enlightened views have given dire offence to the two knights who have so long ruled thepolitioal roost in New South Wale 3, and something like a political miracle has resulted. SirHxNBYP-iBKBSandSirGxOBGE Dibbs have laid aside their personal animosities, and are working together to defeat Mr. Baio. A more unholy combination has scarcely ever been recorded in hiatory . That Sir Gioeqi Dibbs should oppose Mr. Bgid and his polioy is not unnatural, but that Sir Hknbt Parkes shonld join foroes with him to defeat a polioy of Free Trade is indeed remarkable. Sir Hsnbt Parkib in doing so completely stultifies himself, proves that he is aotuated by no solid principles, and holds himself up to scorn as a mere self-seeking politician. His pretence that Federation is endangered by Mr. Run's Freetrade polioy will not bear olose examination. Sir Hknbt Paries' behaviour towards Mr. RitiD on the issue of Freetrade must destroy all confidence in his sincerity in regard to Federation or on any other Bubjeot. He is evidently prepared to sacrifice any principle, or all prinoiple, to his own selfish aims. To Sir Hinet Pab:cis and Sir Oeobob Dibbs the triumph of Mr. Bkid must mean political extinction. If they fail in their present shamefnl combination they must, we should think, for ever after hide their diminished heads, and, even in the strange political atmosphere of New South Wales, abandon all hope of ever again posing as leaders of Party. That they will fail we feel assured, although quite aware that Mr. RiiD.haa great difficulties in his way and very refractory material to work upon. As to the objeotion raised by the. Melbourne Age, that a Freetrade polioy in New South Wales will bar the progreßS of Federation, we do not believe it to be one whit more sincere or more worthy of consideration than Sir Hinbt Pabkks' objeotion to a like effeot. Federation is merely made the stalking-horse ot the Protectionist Party in Victoria, whioh the Age represents. That Party is being every day discredited, even within the borders of Viotoria. Its prestige is gone. Its final doom is rapidly approaching. The polioy of Protection has brought Victoria to the verga of ruin, and the people of the oolony are rapidly waking up to a perception of ite evils anditß fallacies. The Age sees that the system it has so long bolstered up is now fairly played out, and must soon be swept away. But the Protectionists wish to prolong the dying agony if they oan. They are therefore furious when they find the Mother Colony about to adopt a polioy which will give the coup de gri.ee to Proteotion upon Australian soil. 'Onoe Freetrade is fairly established in New South Wales, the other Australian colonies must very soon follow their example, and throw their ports open to the commeroe of the world. Viotoria knows well what Freetrade in New Sonth Waleß means. It will not long endure to see the commercial navies of the world sail contemptuously past the looked gates of Port Phillip to enter the open Heads of Fort Jackson, and unload their wealth at the wharves of Sydney. For two or three years past now Viotoria has looked with fear and astonishment at the manner in whioh shipping and trade, even manufacturing trade, has been drifting from Melbourne to Sydney, owing to the- more liberal fisoal polioy of New Sonth Wales. The adoption of Mr. Biro's present polioy by the older oolony will aooelerate the drift until it becomes an irresistible ourrent, sweeping all before it. Almost before Viotoria will be able to gather, its senses together to appreciate the ohange, Sydney will have leaped enormously ahead of

Melbourne, and established a lead which I it will bo hopeless to endeavour to overtake. I 2 The only coureo open will be to follow r modostly behind. If aie ICeio is able to v defeat the unprincipled maohiuations of Sir t Hsnbt Fahkks au 1 Geokqe Dibbs, C and to carry out hia present polioy, the 1 future of New South Wales will be assured. ( Its prosperity will become great, and its v commercial poßition be rendered impreg- ( nable. Since onr own Pnblio Workß Policy 1 was inaugurated there has been no polioy f proposed to any Australasian colony so bold, t so sound, bo statesmanlike, or so judioioua 1 and far-seeing, as that which Mr. Heid has 1 just offered to tho acceptance of New i South Wales. We confess we are most t agreeably disappointed and mistaken in onr c estimate of Mr. Rein. We did not think he i had so much wisdom and grit in his oom- t position. He is sotting a noble example to 1 the other colonies. We sincoroly hope that i tho New Sonth Wales Legislature will be ( wise enough to accept hia proposals and to i defeat the knavish tricks of his two envious c rivals. The triumph of Freetrade in New ( South Wales, even though subject to slight 1 modifications and concessions to some finan- ( oial or politioal exigencies, as proposed in < Mr. Reid's soheme, will gladden the hearts i of Freetraders all the world over, and hasten 1 the day when all tho colonies of Australasia ' shall eschew the heresies of Protection. ' 1