AUSTRALASIAN FEDERATION.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXII, Issue LXII, 22 January 1912, Page 8

AUSTRALASIAN FEDERATION.

PROSPECTS OF NEW; ZEALAND

JOINING

FEDERAL PRIME MINISTER'S

VIEWS

BY C4BLE—PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT,

v MELBOURNE, Jan. 21

Mr A. Fisher, Prime Minister, takes an optimistic view of the prospect of New Zealand eventually forming a. part of the Australian Federation.

Within five years he thinks there will be an agreement' between the Commonwealth and the Dominion on defence: Within twenty years New Zealand may join the Federation. He does not wish to be definite as to the incorporation of the Dominion with the Commonwealth. Any period "may elapse befoi-e it is accomplished, but he sets "down twenty years as a speculative indication. Many pbliticiahs here think that with the Labor" party' seeking to force* the pace towards unification, the probabilities of New Zealand forming a political compact will become practically more remote; : ■'