NEW ZEALAND AND FEDERATION

New Zealand Times, Volume LXX, Issue 3836, 4 September 1899, Page 3

NEW ZEALAND AND FEDERATION

MORE OPINIONS FROM LEGISLATORS. Below wo publish further opinion!; from members on the subject of Ne\. Zealand and Federation : The Speaker (Sir Maurice O’Rorke) waid he had always been in favour oi ■drawing the connection close with the Australian colonies, and ho considered it very shoi/t-sighted on the part ot the Now Zealand Parliament to have refrained for so many years from giving an opinion on the subject. He thought it would be a vital blow to the grain-growers of Now Zealand if the Australian ports were closed to their produce, which would, in his opinion, inevitably cone to pass when federation takes place. 11 e aL () thought it would bo a great pity if New Zealand was to bo excluded from participating in the vast quantities of land, much of which was still unoccupied, in Australia. Mo frequently, he went on to say, went over to Australia, ana visited the cities of Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide, and he had often expressed a wish that there might ho a law passed to compel every New Zealander to go to Australia at least once in his lifetime and see the big cities they had there. He also regarded Australasian federation as a great Imperial desire to draw these colonics closer together. There was no doubt some kind of representation would be given to the Australian colonies when they were federated with the Empire. New Zealand would look very small if shut out of the federated Empire. He thought the people of New Zealand would take the matter of federation in hand, and insist on some steps being taken, over the heads of tho politicians, just as in New South Wales, . where three Ministers i»n.d many members were rejected owing. 1 to their hostility to the proposal. Tho matter would, lie believed, bo brought forward in a very prominent manner at the general elections.

Mr Carson (Wanganui) thought that careful inquiries should be made as to the probable effects of Now Zealand joining the Commonwealth.

Mr Lethbridge (Rungitikei) said he was a New Zealander, and perhaps his ideas might be slightly provincial, luit ho was rather of opinion that if New Zealand joined the Commonwealth the distance from Australia might result in her being “left out in the cold” in sev-, oral matters. It was all very well to say that a national spirit ‘ might be created by the establishment of a Federated Australasia, but he considered there was a national spirit already existing under the British Empire, of which -ho always regarded himself as a member. From a business point of view, however, he could iseo that, as far as our products were concerned, wo ought to have free entry into the Australian ports. It seemed to him that the only way to get that free entry was to federate. New Zealand might perhaps suffer as regarded defence if she joined tho Commonwealth, but he thought that business exigencies would necessitate the colony taking that step. Ho thought there was sufficient information to hand to in - M being done without further inquiries. Mr Montgomery (Ellesmere) said he did not know enough about the subject yet to give his opinion any real value. He hoped that before the election campaign began members would have become thoroughly acquainted with the subject, and that it would be brought prominently forward, and that the public would take tho interest :ini; which they have neglected to do hitherto. Federation was going to affect the colony for weal or woe, and they ought to understand it, but he did not. think there was any immediate hurry.

Mr Fraser. (Wakatipu) said there were very strong arguments in favour of federation, and one had to admit that the arguments against it were chiefly sentimental, so far as >-.iey concerned the question of a self-governing people handing over the control of the colony to Australia. There was no doubt that the immediate practical advantages of federation would be ' very great, more especially if this colony s products wore admitted on the same tariff as those of the other* colonies; but he was not quite clear that the produce from tfew Zealand would be admitted absolutely free. It looked at present as if they would be admitted free if New Zealand joined the Commonwealth, but it was possible that conditions would be imposed. One could not, however, lose sight o£ the fact that, from natural influences, such as configuration and climate, the people who inhabited this colony would in future differ very materially in their characteristics from those in the Australian colonies. It was '» question for careful consideration whether it would be wise to join ourselves for all time in partnership with a people with whom in future we might have no community of thought and sentiment. Tho’se differences would increase as the years went by. No doubt the subject was one that ought to be thoroughly discussed, and the fullest information obtained about it. He thought it was a great pity that no opportunity had been afforded for discussing it this session. Nr doubt it would form the subject of r good deal of discussion during the general election. WHAT IS THOUGHT IN AUSTRALI/ Mr A. Cohen, the well-known Parliamentary reporter, returned on Saturday from Sydney, where he has been making inquiries as to the opinions held by leading statesmen there regarding ''federation as it affects New Zealand. Premier Reid, according to Mr Cohen, urges prompt action, pointing out that if the public men of New Zealand really desire union with Australia every day is important, and that delay is dangerous, and may prove costly. If overtures are delayed until Federated Australia’s tariff is put up, and then made from a business point of view, namely, to secure a market for our products.'the result would not bo likely to bo entirely beneficial to this colony. Hr MacLaurin, head of the anti-Bilhte party, thinks it would be folly for now Zealand to enter into federation on the mere idea of sentiment, because there never can be real homogeneity between two countries so unliko in their characteristics and separated by 120 U miles of 'stormy ocean. It is. he says, a question for New Zealanders themselves to consider whether the materialjbjenefits that would accrue from federation are sufficiently great to justify them m submitting to the inconveniences wbiC’’ arc inseparable from it. As' to Np”' Zealand booing to secure commercip l benefits without federation, he stated that there is no legislation at present in existence to empower any reciprocity treaty with a Government not yet in existence. Consequently, as soon as federation is accomplished in Australia', it. would bo necessary for Now Zealand to obtain from tbo Imperial .Parliament a further grant of power t" make recinrocl arrangements with the new federation. ' T<- reciprocity was sought as a means of staving off a desirable inc’nsion in the federation, prominent commercial gentlemen' expressed the opinion that the public

men of Now Zealand, in relying on a continuance of the present trade arrangements after federation was accomplished, were depending on what would prove to be a broken reed.