MR RITCHIE ON AUSTRALIAN OPINION.

Evening Star, Issue 8610, 2 September 1891, Page 1

MR RITCHIE ON AUSTRALIAN OPINION.

The opinions of Mr J. M. Kitciiie on certain questions of the day, as viewed in Australia, which, through the courtesy of that gentleman we were enabled to publish on Saturday, are interesting from several points of view, and valuable in the consideration that our fellow-citizen enjoyed exceptional advantages during his recent visit to Melbourne and Sydney of probing the opinions of the commercial community. It is not at all surprising that a very unfavorable impression should prevail as to the policy of the New Zealand Government, which, Mr Ritchie states, is regarded as absolutely suicidal so far as the material interests of this Colony are concerned. The shrewd business men of Victoria and New South Wales are unable, on any rational theory, to comprehend how a scheme of taxation, which must necessarily have a depressing effect on all enterprise, lower the value of property, and contract the field of employment, could be deliberately approved by the representatives of the people. They regard " the new "fiscal departure as more or less " vindictive —as directed against a "class—and not an outcome of an "honest desire for the greatest good "of the State, nor induced by any " necessity for redressing wrongs.'' The conviction of this—which from the first impressed itself on the minds of all reasonable people—is now being generally felt throughout the community ; and we have reason to hope will bear fruit in due season, and lead to a better state of things before very much mischief is done.

In connection with Mr Ritchie's experiences, however, our concern just now is rather with the question of federation, and how it is regarded in Australia in respect to New Zealand. The Convention, in the draft Bill which they adopted, left the door open to this Colony to join the Commonwealth at any future time ; and the position taken by our delegates, as explained by Captain Russell, was : That before we could even seriously contemplate federation there must be " some system by which the debts of the colonies shall be consolidated " ; whilst such a scheme could only be devised by the Federal Parliament, His objections, and in this he was fully supported by Sir Harry Atkinson, were, it may be said, distinctly based on financial grounds. He thought it would be running too great a risk to give up the greater proportion of the revenue whilst the full responsibility of the public indebtedness remained; and there was a positive uncertainty as to the action the Federal Parliament might take in the matter of the debts of the several States. In all other respects he appears to have approved of the principles and details of the Bill; and it is important to note that, being a Freetrader to the backbone, he is prepared to approve of intercolonial freetrade, considering the immediate advantages would counterbalance the possible'(but, as he believes, not very probable) closing of the ports of the Commonwealth against the world. Mr Ritchie represents the feeling in Victoria, especially, as one of intense jealousy of the natural advantages of New Zealand as a producing country ; and we note by a recent cablegram that Sir Bryan o'Loohli:n succeeded in inducing the Victorian Legislative Assembly to amend the Federation 13ill by specifically excluding this Colony. That honorable gentleman, who iitly represents the short-sighted selfishness of the Victorian democracy, endeavored, at an earlier stage of the consideration of the Bill, to effect the same end by moving that in the preamble the word " Australian" should be substituted for "Australasia"; and the debate which ensued clearly demonstrated the mind of his party —the extreme Protectionists—in the matter. The argument very much amounted to this : That New Zealand, if admitted to the Commonwealth, would obtain very material advantages over the Australian States, owing to her great natural advantages in agricultural production. Sir Bryan quoted Sir Julius Vogel to the effect that if New Zealand obtained the free introduction of her grain, dairy produce, beer, and timber to Victoria she " would become the most prosperous " colony of the group." Mr Murray, a narrow-minded politician of the same school, was more definite. " No colony,'' he said, " so cheaply "produced oats, wheat, beef, and " mutton as New Zealand ; and if she " were given the same entry as Vic- " toria into the markets of the other " colonies could undersell Victoria in "almost every natural product." Mr M'Coll, another strong Protectionist, cited a number of returns of exports and imports, which justified, he asserted, the conclusion that " if New "Zealand were admitted to the fecle- " ration everything was being given " away for nothing." The idea of New Zealand williDgly standing out, and declining to federate when existing financial difficulties should be removed, seemed to have struck most of the speakers in the debate as absolutely incomprehensible, considering the palpable advantages which must accrue through joining the Commonwealth. Mr Armytage, apropos of this, made a rather diverting remark: "New Zealand had always " treated the matter in a very cavalier "way, and said that she could stand "by herself. Well, let her standby " herself, and blowed to her ! " Mr Ritchie, being quite aware of the disposition, or rather the deter-

mination, of Victoria not to allowNew Zealand to come in, is, we tbink, rightly of opinion that once the Commonwealth is established she will have the opportunity of joining when she pleases. The decision, so far as it is adecision,of the Victorian Legislative Assembly is not, we think, likely to over-rule" the Convention; and it, of course, remains to be seen what course the Legislatures of the other Australian colonies will take in regard to the Federation Bill. It has been, we believe, approved by South Australia very much as drafted, and is not likely to be in any respect materially altered by New South Wales. Victoria would exclude in perpeiuo not only New Zealand, but the whole of Polynesia, which now includes Fiji, and before many years will probably include other rising British colonies. Federation, as Captain Russell happily put it, is "not a question of to-day, but an " alliance of the various English--speaking races in the Southern " Ocean." The Australian colonies themselves are, moreover, not likely ever to consent to a mere Australian Commonwealth dominated by Victoria, which is what Sir Brvax O'Loghlex and those who support him really aim at. Mr RiTcniE is evidently strongly impressed with the advantage to New Zealand of federating ; and k would seem he is of opinion that this should be done at once. The commercial advantages, we admit, are obvious, but the financial difficulties so forcibly described by Captain Russell in his speech in the House on the 3rd August ult. stand in the way, and are not, we conceive, easily to be disposed of. ft: is absolutely esseutial that there should be some definite arrangement as to meeting the annual charges on the public debt, or the Colony might find itself stranded in very serious embarrassment. The attitude of Victoria is an npt illustration of the mischievous consequences to any people of the. adoption of the policy of Protection. All the gifts of the earth are, so to speak, in profusion at their feet. Within a few days' steaming of Victoria is a country super-abounding, we may say, in agricultural produce, and capable, from the climate and soil, of providing every requirement for man and beast. Her ports, however, are practically closed; land, labor, and capital are devoted to the production of precarious miserable crops of cereals, and diverted thereby from the purposes to which Nature points. The result is just what might be expected ; in fact, no other result in the order of things is conceivable. What does Mr Ritchtk report 1 The exports from Victoria were larger twenty years ago than they are at present, although the population has increased 75 per cent. ; industries arc languishing, employment is slack ; whilst " the import of many leading protected lines is increasing."