WHAT FEDERITION MEANS TO THE WORKING MAN.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 2279, 22 September 1899, Page 3

WHAT FEDERITION MEANS TO THE WORKING MAN.

A writer in the Auckland ' Star ' (R. Laishley) says . -So far as one rati see •at present—subject to any later light that may accrue— I. Federation means, prol<ah|y, the annihilation of N. Z. Lal>our Legislation. Hence the strenuous efforts of the rump of the presumably discredited National Ass. to lead the working man into Federation prematurely, whether Tight or wrong. Legislative freedom is invaluable. Thus, just as the slave adores the principle of Liberty, so no one knows the value of Le<nslative Freedom, or Self-Government, until it is lost—as Ireland, for instance, can testify. 11. Federation means, probably, destruction to all protected local industries; and therefore means no workhere for the losal artisan in those industries. 111. Whilst Federation would, probably, annihilate the N.Z. Labour Legislation, and destroy protected local industries, and therefore al>olish employment for the local artisan in those industrirs, there would be no reduction in the cost of living here. IV. All this shows that the Hon. Captain Russell, Leader of the Opposition, and those who think with him, in persistently opposing N.Z. Federation, have all along been moved by patriot- i ism in the interests of the colony as a „whole, including the interests of the manual worker; otherwise, if they were impelled by party motives against Labour, they would have favoured N.Z. Federation. V. Note what Mr F. W. Roper apparently felt bound to say even to the conservative Canterbury Chamber of Commerce : " Local industries, with the loss of protection, would cease to exist, as Sydney and Melbourne, with cheap labour and low freights from Europe, would become our distributing centres. But our debt would remaiu, and new j forms of taxation must be devised to meet the loss of Customs and the increased expense of the Federal Government. If we once joined we could not i withdraw." VI. Further, the Commonwealth of j Australia Constitution Bill contains no restriction against alien immigration— ! such as Chinese or Austrians—but expressly reserves to the Commonwealth the power to control that subject as it ] pleases. (See Sulxs. XVII. of Clause! 51). And be it remembered the Com- j nionwealth Parliament has the right to '' override any N.Z. laws on that sub- j ject. VII. Finally, N.Z Federation means I for the working man—so far as can be seen at present—(l) ignoble and un- | profitable surrender, to a Common- j wealth ] 200 miles away, of Legisla- | rive independence, i.e., surrender of ! the rights of New Zealanders to govern themselves for Labour or other pur- j poses; (2) largely increased taxation by reason of the loss caused by joining, and the cost of contributing to the

expense of the Commonwealth ; a very extensive destruction of employment, without any reduction in the cost of living; and (4) no provision in the Bill against alien emigration. Indeed, the Premier has practically described the movement as an onions and potatoes, net & nation-making impulse. Be assured that, to ensure the continuance of New Zealand as a paradise for the man who works with his hands, the manual labourer must be vigilant to watch further developments : or rather, as Benjamim Franklin said : I " You must all hang together, if you j would not hang separately."