NEW ZEALAND AND FEDERATION. TO THE EDITOR,

Evening Post, Volume LX, Issue 106, 1 November 1900, Page 7

NEW ZEALAND AND FEDERATION. TO THE EDITOR,

Siv — From New Zealand telegrams published in Sj'dney newspapers of this date (20th October), it is learned that a Commission is to be appointed by the New Zealand Government to enquire into the question of federation wi^h Australia. In any enquiry of this sort it is nob altogether sufficient to enquire into the political or the commercial aspects of such federation, nor should the question bo discussed dntirely from a mutual defence point of view. It is true that these questions must, to a certain extent, form the basis of such enquiry, but, besides these, there is another and perhaps more serious aspect. I refer to the moral effect that federation is likely to have on New Zealunders. 'It k certain that the effect on Australians, especially on New South Welshmen, will, primarily, bo that of self-aggrandisement. Indeed, as far as I, after a year's residence in New South Wales, am able to judge, that appears to bo their chief motive in desiring New Zealand in federation with them. Exactly Avhafc moral effect it will have on New Zealanders is hard to determine, though federation cannot work for the : r good as it will mean neither more nor less than their almost entire absorption into the Commonwealth. New Zeaianders' political freedom, will be curtailed; their birthright bartered, and their individuality lost. Those NeAv Zealanders who have lived in Australia for any length of time, cannot fail, from the general tone of the Australians, to arrive •at these conclusions j and others, when they become thoroughly acquainted with the speech of Mr. Lyne, the Premier of New {South Wales, made at Yass on 7th October, cannot bub be of tlie same opinion, for in that speech there appears at least two extraordinary and 1 * somewhat astonishing statements. It will be remembered that on 2nd October a petition objecting to the annexation of Fiji by New Zealand was presented to the New South Wales Government by Sydney merchants. One reason for this is that there is good reason to fear that trade will be diverted from Australia to New Zealand, by rearrangement of the tariff in Fiji. On receiving this petition, Mr. Lyne, so he tells us, sent a ■ very strong protest to the Imperial Government, while almost in the very same ■ breath, and certainly in the same speech, he tells us that "Australia will have a uniform tariff against the world and against New Zealand," which tariff is presumably for the purpose of diverting the trade of fertile New Zealand from comparatively barren .Australia, From this it may be seen there is a very strong undercurrent of feeling against New Zealand. There is little doubt, in my mind, that the commissioners, when they come to enquire into the effect on New Zealand of an adverse tariff will find such tariff more harmful to Australia than to New Zealand. In any case it w6uld be better to arrange reciprocal tariffs than to federate for tariff's sake, and there is no reason why the defence question should not be similarly approached. Again, the Premier, at Yass, after stating that he had asked the British Government not to do anything in the matter just yet, bud wait ullti l tne Commonwealth could be consulted, spoke as follows: — "In hi 3 opinion Australia, under a Federal Government, must have control of the islands belonging to Great Britain in the South Pacific." From this it will be seen that the- policy of the great and glorious Commonwealth, as delineated by Mr, Lyne, is not by any means friendly, but rather, that it is absolutely- and most pronouncedly hostile to New Zealand. Indeed, so decidedly is this so, that, when one hears the often expressed l hope that New Zealand federation will soon be accomplished,-, the natufal inference is that it is not altogether New Zealand's federation that is required, but, rather, its annexation and its consequent entire absorption into the Commonwealth of Australia.— l am, etc., G. WM. TIFFEN. Croyden, New South Wales, 20th October, 1900.