ANTI-FEDERAL MOVEMENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 13048, 13 December 1905, Page 5

ANTI-FEDERAL MOVEMENT.

I ACTION OF NEW, SOUTH WALES. [, / ~■ ■ - j■-.■■'■ OPINIONS OF PUBLIC MEN. "'. | By Telegraph.— Association Copyright. .;; (Received December 12, 10.17 p.m.)'- '• Sydney, December 12. - Mb. Watson, Leader of the Federal Labour' party, says he regrets the action of)the. New South Wales Premier (Mr. Carruthers),in regard to federation, on the ground that*" it will intensify rattier than remedy the bad': feeling existing between the : States. '• Still, : he is convinced that New South Wales has. more to gain from federation than any other State. * -New South Wales undoubtedly ha 4 . made sacrifices,' but after all they were nogreater proportionately than those made' by other States. ;iL Mr. Joseph Cook, Deputy-Leader of the. Opposition, says there has'been a lack q£ consideration for New South Wales by some' of her own members. He had tried half., a-dozen times during the present session to* get : the Federal Parliament to consider the■ view-point of the State Parliament on •;the' capital site question, and had beeiv fidi? v culed by Sir W. J. Lyne and others of his' , friends from New South Wales. It wai" the fashion to blame the Victorians for all I the trouble, but it was unfa* to do so. If blame attached to anyone, it was to their -'■■■■> own -representatives. ■ ,-J".', Mr. Bruce-Smith • says that though, many politicians deprecate Mr. Carruthers' action; he was disposed to think there waff no other way of impressing the Victorian - representatives and people with the fact that" the people of. New South Wales ' were"".in' earnest. # > Bbisbanjg, December 12.••; The Daily Telegraph, of Brisbane, com-; menting on the situation, says: "We hare".' j had five disastrous and miserable years un*: ; der the regime of federation. Those who: ; fought for it, and voted for it, have paid* ! for it, and are more disgusted than thoseI who fought against it, and now in veryloud tone's our nearest Southern neighbours* I are clamouring for secession. They never* j had anything to' gain by union, and the* marvel was that they allowed themselves, to be drawn into it." -.*-:■: - .',-•■-■ ■■•■■' •■'.>.;'...;: wiriVS'K .-■•■:;•-! '■..'•■ ——— ~.'-.: n.,,_, r^ ; ::,:-'' : -:;i'** The New South Wales Parliament passed' resolutions last week protesting against the treatment of that State by the Federal Parliament, especially in regard to theV capital site question. "On this latter-ques-tion, the New South Wales Parliament claims the right to choose tne site for theFederal capital, and this claim is .denied by the Federal Parliament. Kecentlv Mr: Deakin announced that the Federal Parlia- - \ ment would itself decide the matter by a I special Act.