AUSTRALIAN FEDERATION

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1510, 7 February 1901, Page 63

AUSTRALIAN FEDERATION

SIR ROBERT STOUT IN AUSTRALIA.

THE CHIEF JUSTICE’S IMPRES-

SIGNS.

Although still suffering from the illness which seized him in Tasmania, the Chief Justice on the 28th granted an interview to a “Mail” reporter, and gave some of his impressions of his recent visit to Australia. Sir Robert Stoutt said he found that the Governor-General was exceedingly popular with the Australian people. He had twice before met Lord Hopetoun, whom he describes as a very fine man, quiet and unassuming, shrewd, and very able. His Excellency’s tact has often been referred to, but Sir Robert Stout says be has ability as well as tact, and knows his own-mind. “The Premier of the Commonwealth,” said his Honor, “is a. very capable man in whose hands the principles of federation are safe. Mr Barton takes a broad view of the position, and he seemed to bo very well received by the people at all the great functions of inauguration week. - “During my visit to Sydney I met a great many able men from Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania. Quite a .large number of these were men whose names do not frequently appear in the newspapers. The latter are known in their own circles. They are men of high ideals, and are thoroughly cognisant of constitutional questions. Possessed of a sincere desire to make the Commonwealth Government a great success, they' are sure to be heard of before long in either the Commonwealth or the State Governments. “The Australian people are vastly taken up with their Commonwealth, andi are desirous of seeing it succeed and prosper. They are genuine in their wish for the breaking down of provincial bai> riers that have existed in the past between the different portions of .Australia. A’hopeful feeling exists, which augurs well for their progress on a wider basis. ... “ There may be a few politicians m Australia anxious to see New Zealand join the federation, but the mass of the people there are, I think, indifferent on the ouestion.

, “For the first year of two of the Commonwealth I think there will he difficult ties about finance. They will have to raise seven and a half millions of revenue by means of Customs duties. The question ha>s been raised in Tasmania of how this money ought to be distributed, whether it ought to be—(l) According to the sacrifices which the States respectively make ; (2) the amount collected in each State; or (3) per head, Tasmania and Western Australia perhaps have to make greater sacrifices in proportion than the other States. No doubt things will shape themselves all right within five years, hut there will be difficulties at first. Among some men who had been members of the Federal Conventions I found a willingness to follow the lead of Canada, and, in arranging a tariff, to giv© preference if possible to Great Britain. . “ Qf course, the great struggle m the first Commonwealth election will be between - the protectionists and the freetraders. Both sides are already organising for the fightSome Victorians say there will be hardly a freetrader returned to the Commonwealth Parliament, hut it is difficult to say what will happen in New South Wales. “The thing that impressed me most in Australia was the great improvement

that had been made in the cities and their surroundings since I was last there. Sydney is a marvellous place, for the number of its inhabitants. It has got numerous and magnificent parks. Indeed, every attention seems to< be paid to the convenience, health and pleasure of the people. The whole surroundings of Sydney struck me as having been greatly improved. The place has been very; much cleaned, but I do not think it is as clean as Melbourne yet. The towns whose cleanliness most impressed me were Hobart and Launceston. In Launceston special attention appears to be paid to kee.ping the place in a cleanly state. I did not see any dirt or detect any smells at all there/’ Sir Robert Stout also repeated what has previously been reported as to the completeness and splendour of the Commonwealth inaugural celebrations, and the unbounded hospitality that "was extended to visitors by the New South Wales Government.