RE FEDERATION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11605, 20 March 1901, Page 7

RE FEDERATION.

TO THE EDITOB. Sir,—From the evidence before the Commission, it seemed that the fanners generally were going to come out nearly all on the side of federation. Now that we fanners find out, through the evidence given, that we, as consumers, are paying fa* "more for our clothes, boots, candles, soap, biscuits, etc., than we should do, I feel sure that we will one and all be for federation. v. A few years ago we were paying 8 and 10 per cent, for our monoy, and our Government came to our relief and gave us money at 5 per cent., and latei 4£ per cent. Had the Government set up a commission, the moneylenders of New Zealand would have said before' that commission, "This will be bad for us; we will have to go to some other country with our money; we can't live on 5 per cent." But they were not asked, and they have not gone away, and they seem to have more money than ever to lend, and do it. at 5 per cent, on good security, and they grow fatter than ever. I was over in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, and Hobart last year, and did not notice that fruit was any cheaper than here, except grapes. Wine was cheap; Is per quart bottle; beautiful port wine. I would ask, Why should we not have cheap grapes in New Zealand? It will be a long while before our hothouse grapegrowers will give us cheap grapes or wine in New Zealand, and we cannot give ninepenco and Is per lb, so we go without, and our brothers in Australia would give us them under federation, and we would send him our cheap potatoes, maize, and oats. Ido not believe in struggling to - grow . things that are not natural to our climate. If I wished to grow grapes after what I saw in Australia—and I have grown grapes and made wine in the North of Aucklandit* is to Australia I should go. Anyway, I should not go to tho South Island; and why should I, if I lived there, be told that I must wait and go without because our country cannot grow them at a price that I, as a working man, could afford to pay for them? In regard to our not being able to manufacture generally as cheap as Australia, give us the same free ports as New South Wales, and 1 am certain we can manufacture cheaper than they. We have a cooler climate to work in, a more productive soil, taking our climate into consideration, and can beat them hands down in, I believe, everything. My belief is that under federation we would drain them of some of their population, and becomo to a great extent their workshop, and we would soon produce an export of 10 tons to every one that we do now. Everyone should know that more exports means bettei circulation and a wealthier people.— I am, etc., Geo. L. Thomson. Middlemore, Otahuhu.