AUSTRALIAN FEDERATION

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1520, 18 April 1901, Page 29

AUSTRALIAN FEDERATION

LONDON, April 14. Mr Paul von Veurie, formerly ConsulGeneral for Switzerland, has been gazetted German Consul-General for Australasia. He will represent Germany at the opening of the Federal Parliament. LONDON, April 15. Major-General Sir Edwin Collen, K.C.i.E., C. 8., and the Hon W. T. Taylor, Colonial Secretary of Ceylon, are passengers by the P and O. steamer Himalaya to represent India and Ceylon at the festivities in connection with the opening of the Federal Parliament. April 15. The Federal Cabinet is offering prizes of £75 each for the best designs for a Hag and an official seal. Suitable designs will be forwarded to the Imperial authorities for approval. The Cabinet has requested New South Wales to take steps to facilitate the selection of suitable land for a site for the federal capital, and thus advance the labour of the Federal Royal Commission which will be appointed to deal with the matter. A letter from the New South Wales Agent-General relating to Kerguelen Island was considered-by the Cabinet, and it was decided to request the Imperial authorities to negotiate with France for transfer of the island to Great Britain. Kerguelen is cf value to the Commonwealth, being directly in the track of vessls trading between Australia and the Cape. MELBOURNE, April 16. The Federal Cabinet has held long sittings. It is understood that it is intended to appoint an Imperial officer of high standing as CominauJer-in-Chicf as soon as Parliament votes his salary. Mr Barton hopes that the federal tariff will be dealt with during the first session. Ministers, as soon as possible, will visit Bombala, Yass and Oran go, and inspect the sites recommended by the New South Wales Commissioners for the federal capital. Sir Philip Fysli has joined the Federal Cabinet without portfolio, vice the Hon. N. Lewis, Premier of Tasmania. SYDNEY, April 16. Mr A. Levs, of the New Zealand Federation Commission, speaking to. an interviewer, said he had little doubt that New Zealand, if it federated, would have to make good, either from direct taxation or by the adoption of the surplus revenues’, at least £350,000 a year. This, in itself, did not present any greiat difficulty, but it should be observed that after providing for the loss named, the colony would still have to provide, from some form of direct taxation, for any works which were not sufficiently reproductive to pay the whole interest on the cost of construction. Thus, freedom cf action in entering upon such schemes for the development of the country as its Government hitherto favoured, would be materially curtailed. This ■ was one cf the chief difficulties which presented itself in the way of New Zealand’s entrance into the federation. Colonel Pitt, interviewed, said he came here with a perfectly open mind, Speaking personally, the evidence had given a different complexion to what he had heard in New Zealand as to the probable effects cf intercolonial freetrade. There it was represented that a large proportion of the trade would go to Tasmania.' He found, however, that Australia could pretty well produce all that was necessary for her own maintenance. It was a mistake to supnose that these States were dependent upon New Zealand for malting barley, which he was convinced could re just as well produced in Australia. The evie however, shows that New Zealand grows a superior quality. He denied the complaints published in New Zealand that the Commission was ignored by the Australian press. The Commission had arrived when the States were in the throes of the election; and, further, the proceedings were not open to the press, mam members of which in Australia had rendered valuable assistance.