The Hastings Standard Published Daily. TUESDAY, DEC. 29, 1896. INTERCOLONIAL JEALOUSY.

Hastings Standard, Issue 207, 29 December 1896, Page 2

The Hastings Standard Published Daily.

TUESDAY, DEC. 29, 1896. INTERCOLONIAL JEALOUSY.

For the cause that lacks assistance, For the wrongs that need resistance, For the future in the distance, And the j;nod that we can do.

The efforts of Australian statesman to cluster the Australian Colonies under one federal institution is a daring undertaking, for it involves the surmounting of difficulties that in the nature of things must be regarded insurmountable. The most difficult problem that requires solution, and which promises to be the main barrier to federation, is the unnecessary and unaccountable jealousy of the colonies. Sometime ago the colonies entered into a compact to assimilate intercolonial postal affairs. Conferences have been held, and agreements arrived at, but the union now seems threatened by the jealousy of Queensland. I»y the terms of the Postal Convention, newspaper postage, between Queensland and New South Wales, was fixed at id at per lOoz, but there was no agreement as to what should be the rates within the borders of the respective colonies. Now Queensland withdraws from the Convention on the plea that New South Wales carries newspapers free within her own boarders. There is an advantage to be gained by the repudiation on the part of Queensland, for now the people of Bananaland will bo able to send newspapers into New South Wales 011 the cheap Postal Convention rates, while the people of New South Wales will be unable to enjoy this privilege. This is the kind of thing that makes intercolonial reciprocity, federation, and all such advances to intercolonial unity a ponderous and impossible

task. Just now Queensland appears to have taken up an attitude with respect to federation, which may be described significantly as " I don't want to play in your backyard." While Victoria, South Australia, and New South Wales show a real disposition, Queensland stands in the way, and it is doubtful whether the federal meeting that will be held early in the year will be anything more than a pleasant holiday for the delegates. After all we are inclined to think that Premier Seddon's proposal for a conference of Australian Premiers to discuss everything in general and nothing in particular, will go nearer federating the colonies than the ambitious proposals that are now troubling the principal c >lonies. It is quite evident that federation, if it is to be an accomplished fact, must be brought about by easy instalments. Any cut and dried scheme will scarcely succeed, and the greatest drawback to any form of federation is the rampant intercolonial jealousy, a sample of which has been presented to us by Queensland and the postol union. We look for more solid work and more benelicial results from the Conference of Premiers suggested by the Hon R. -T. Seddon, and which will be held immediately after the federation Conference in Hobart early in the new year.