THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. MONDAY, JANUARY 20, 1896.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 10032, 20 January 1896, Page 4

THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. MONDAY, JANUARY 20, 1896.

As the Australian colonies are now rapidly falling into line in the movement towards federation, the question naturally suggests itself why New Zealand should not move in concert, and form part of a great confederation of all the colonies of Australasia ? There is a grandeur in the conception of one great uuited body representing the Anglo-Saxon race in these seas, and acting together as ono . power, and speaking with one voice, that is exceedingly attractive: and the reasons ought to he substantial that can prevent such an ideal being realised. It will be remembered that when the first Convention dealing with this subject was held at [Sydney tea or twelve years ago, tlio representatives of this colony were among those who were most favourable to a general federal union. But though, on the basis of the results of that Convention, an enabling Act was passed by the Imperial Parliament, I the Government of this colony, together with that of New South Wales and also that of Fiji, refrained from taking part in the Constitution of the Federal Council, which for the past tea year s has been holding sessions at fixed periods at Hoburt, in Tasmania. Whether the representatives at that Convention really expressed the general sentiment of this colony at the time or otherwise, the feeling in favour of union with the Continental coionies has not shown itself to have established a strong hold on, the popular mind and at, the last Convention at Sydney in 1891, the,

delegates from New Zealand, while declaring the deepest interest the proposed federation of the Australian colonies, expressed themselves as unable to hold out any prospect of this colony forming ft part of the confederation, at least in the meantime. There seems little doubt thai the course taken on the latter occasion is the expression of the general feeling of the people of New Zealand, and that not from any want of a sense of the importance of union, but from the belief that the interests of this colony and of the continental colonies are not 8) identical as to warrant their bein£ merged in one Administration. It would be incorrect, however, to suppose that there is not a very large number of people, and those'amongst our most intelligent and influential colonists, who believe it to be the duty of this colony to unite in the federal system that is now in process of being constituted, and who entertain the belief that if not (lone now, the inclusion of this colony will sooner or later be effected. Among the reasons that seem to militate against this colony forming part of the Australian federation, probably one of the strongest relates to the future colonisation of a large part of he still unsettled portions of Australia. It is believed by many that, notwithstanding all efforts to the contrary, the tropical portions of Australia must yet necessarily be developed by black labour, and that this will involve difficult social and labour questions, and legislation as well as administration of a class that properly speaking can have little bearing on the conditions of New Zealand. Here we shall no have difficulty in preserving our shores for the AngloSaxon or at least the European races, and it would be beneficial neither to the Australians in the solution of their problems nor yet to ourselves, that we should be mixed up in questions so peculiarly their own, Even at this hour the questions of black labour and of tropical colonisation are looming up; and while the Western Australian Government have intimated an unwillingness to have the question of labour remitted to the Federal parliament, the existence of ' Kanaka labour in Queensland, and its seeming necessity to the sugar bring these questions up on the very threshold of federal union. Again, in relation to defence, the interests of this colony and the continental States will not run on the same lines. The considerable armies which the continental colouies will find it possible and desirable to raise, and to have ready for mobilisation among themselves, could be of no service to New Zealand, which must rest on its own defences and on such naval protection as it may derive either from the British fleet, or from squadrons provided by itself in the coming time. As a common defence is the most potent of all the reasons prompting the Australian colonies to form a federal union, the impossibility of military co-operation in an emergency seems to remove the motive reasons for federal union as between New Zealand and the Continental colonies. Again, the considerable distance that separates us does raise, if not a difficulty, at least an inconvenience in respect of Government. It is true that in these days the cable and the steamboat have practically annihilated distance, and for the matter of that we could be governed from England or the Cape of Good Hope. Still, when we consider the large amount of powers of local government that has to be transferred to the federal legislature and executive if federation is to be of any value, we doubt whether the people of New Zealand would like to have their principal laws made, and the administration of their government directed, from Albury or Sydney or Hobart, or generally from beyond the Tasman Sea. That it could be done we have no doubt: and if the advantages otherwise derivable from union were so great as to warrant it, we dare say the people of New Zealand wOuld be prepared to surrender many of their rights of local government for the common good. Still it is difficult to see that the advantages would be commensurate with the loss of the benefits of administering our own affairs. It is true it is even further from one end of continental Australia to another than it is from here to Australia : still there is a compactness in Australia and in Australian interests that seems more to indicate unity of action ; and it is difficult to think that the interests of our isolated colony would not be to some extent overborne and lost in the preponderance of the continental interest, Of course if noninclusion in the Australian union would mean anything like hostility of action or of feeling between Australia and New Zealand, then we should be prepared to sink everything in favour of having our lot and destiny inseparably connected. But after Australia shall have confederated, wo shall on both sides of Taeman Sea be still equally parts of the great British Empire, and we trust for ever inseparably bound together for weal or woe. There is, it must be admitted, one possible evil looming up in the distance, that is in the matter of the Customs tariff. If New Zealand federated with Australia, free interchange of goods between us and Australia would of course be assured, while by our standing apart, there is at least the possibility of hostile tariffs. But free trade between the colonies is just as desirable and just as necessary to the continental colonies as to us, and if it is desirable now it would bo as desirable after federation, and would be attainable by a tariff treaty. However, it is only fair to admit that this question of a fiscal union is the one strong argument that makes in favour of a federal union being constituted to cover the whole group of oolonies. So important is it indeed, that if our abstention from Union would preclude free trade between Australia and .Now Zealand, there would probably arise an overwhelming foroe of public feeling in this colony, in favour of our travelling, pari passu, with the movement now proceeding in Australia. „But apart from the fact that a treaty of free trade between the oolonios could bo achieved by treaty, if mutually desired, it is also to be borne in mind that our presently refraining is not necessarily, final; for the , federal scheme as at ; present proposed does uiVcontemplate the , immediate ■ inclusion «of ■ thai whole v group,;

but makes ! provision for. three 0 more to join and form the union' to bo , added to by the remaining colonies joining whenever they oau see their way to doing so. If th ere fore New Zealand chooses to wait to see the operations of the federal system before taking the important plunge it by no' means closes the door against her; and whether she may see the way to constructing ail oceanic confederation of her own—including all th 9 islands of the Pacific now or hereafter owning British sway, with Now Zealand at the head of them— whether she knocks for admission at the door of the confederacy, after it has completed the work of consolidating the Continental States, we may rest assured that under the sovereignty of England there will never he anything but the most friendly relations between New Zealand and the Australian Commonwealth.