THURSDAY JULY 4, 1901. NEW ZEALAND AND THE COMMONWEALTH.

Evening Post, Volume LXII, Issue 4, 4 July 1901, Page 4

THURSDAY JULY 4, 1901. NEW ZEALAND AND THE COMMONWEALTH.

Tlio report of the Federation Commission is undoubtedly an able document, and states the caso from the point of view adopted by tlio Commissioners in a dear and cogent manner. When tho constitution of the Commission was first published it was a foregone conclusion what the verdict would be. This, we may say without casting any reflection upon the sincerity of its members, for the majority of them wore known to be opposed to New Zealand's entering the' Commonwealth. Their report is more emphatic than might have been expected, for it amounts to a repudiation of Federation not- only for the time being, but practically for all time. Cleverly as the report has been drawn up, it is manifestly not so much a judicial summing up of the "pros " and "cons" as a skilful statement of the cose for the anti-Federalists. In 'spite of this, however, it does, wei • are disposed to believe, represent the average opinion of tho colony. And the reason for this is to bo foiyi^l in <i paragraph which appears in the ' Keport itself. "They found," say the Commissioners, "that the question had been but little 1 considered by tho people of New *Zealand. The Commonwealth Constitution Act had not even been read by many of those who attended before your Commissioners, and its provisions, generally speaking, were imperfectly understood by many of those who proceed to have considered tho subject of federation somewhat attentively." The fact of the matter seems to bo that (the people of New Zealand have not troubled about tho question, they are, in ttie main, content with existing conditions, and, as is usual in "fat years," are inclined to be conservative and suspicious of any radical change tho consequences of which they do not fully comprehend. This atmosphere of distrust has evidently reacted upon tho Commission, which shows in its report great anxiety and some suspicion as to the possible effects of Federation upon the liberties and progress of this colony. To deal with the many points raised by the roport would demand more' time and space than Are have for the iriiment at our disposal, sjnee it traverses' tho whole subjeot df Federation, whWh is perhaps one of the largest that has ever come before the Parliament of New Zealand. We must confine ourselves to a general survey of' the position taken up by the Commissioners. They have seized upon two important remits of Federation — the necessary curtailment of local legislative independence, and the probable financiul difficulties tliat would arise — they have made tho most of these (and in the case of the public finances we have always admitted that serious difficulties j would havo to be overcome), and then proceeded to ask what are the enormous counterbalancing advantages that can bo tet against those disadvantages? Taking one by one, defence, postul and telegraphic services, administration of justice, Imperial relations, Federal departmental administration, agricultural, commercial, and industrial interests, and the social condition of tho working classes, they declare that in each respect New Zealand •would either gain practically nothing, or even suffer loss by- Federation. Therefore they conclude, and quite; logically if their facts are correct and exhaustive, that there .are not sufficient countervailing benefits, and that the colony j •hould continue its present policy of i Aloofness. They do not even speak hopefully of reciprocal commercial arrangements, but only suggest that they should receive tho attention of the Government. Tho roport, as an unbiassed interpretation of facts, stands self-condemned from its sweeping condemnation of Federation in its every aspect. It cannot surely be true that New Zoaland has nothing to gain and absolutely everything to loso by throwing in her lot with her nei 6 «V bour colonies 1 The Commissioners' arguments with regard to the effect of Federation upon Imperial relations aro, perhaps, the jnost oxtraor&inary of all. They might "well have emanated from the Colonial Office, \vhioh would in certain circumstances appreciate tho maxim, " Divido et irapera," But they are somewhat out of place from either' of the parties, who nfe to be ruled by virtuo of thoir divisions. Whilo keenly sensitive to the possiblo oviln of Federation, the Commissioners appear to have studiously ignored the probable evils of isolation.