AUSTRALIAN FEDERATION

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4297, 5 March 1901, Page 7

AUSTRALIAN FEDERATION

’ THE ELECTION CAMPAIGN. I i i ' MU BARTON IN QUEENSLAND, j ’ PBESS ASSOCIATION. j i _ _ SYDNEY, March L j Mr G. H. Reid will visit Queensland J , ns_ a counterblast to tho Federal Pre-j - micr’o election campaign in fhat colony.) BRISBANE, March 4.‘ 1 Mr E. Barton concluded his election , campaign by addressing a large meeting in tho Exhibition Building. He had a! , splendid reception. I Mr R. Plain, State Premier, said be hopcd_ Hat Queensland would return a majority of members to both. Houses pledged to support Air Barton. He also trusted that the Federal Ministers] would take a. trip through the State 1 befrmc they attempted any legislation . on ilio sugar industry. BLACK OR WHITE ? (Received March 5, 0.31 a.m.) BRISBANE, March 4. The Chamber of Commerce discussed Air Barton’s attitude) towards coloured I labour, anil adopted a resolution in favour of asking the Federal Premier to appoint a Royal Commission to inquire into the sugar and other tropical industries before any legislation is introduce:! dealing with coloured labour. PARLIAMENTARY NOMINATIONS. (Received March 4, 10.40 p.m.) ADELAIDE, March 4. Nominations for the Federal Parliament closed to-day. Eleven nominations were received for the. Senate, including four members of the State Assembly, and six of tho Council, amongst whom aro the Hons. T. Playford, D. M. Charleston and G. McGregor, Sir j. 11. Sytr.on, Sir R. C. Baker (President of the Legislative Council), raid Sir J. W. Downer. For the Federal House of Representatives seventeen nominations wero received, including the Hon F. W. Holder (State Premier), Hon E. L. Batchelor j (State Minister of Education), Sir W. jL. Bonython. and five other members | of the Assembly. 1 j THE CONTINGENT PROPOSAL. 1 The Premier bad up to'midnight re- 1 •ceived hut few replies from members of ] Parliament relative to the military re- 1 presentation of this colony at the opening of the Commonwealth Parliament. The general tone of tho answer's re- ; ceived indicates, that it is felt that the ; colony should be represented, hut not j to such a numerical extent as pro- , posed. Tho “Manawatu Standard” . says that Air Pirani is “strongly opposed to any such waste of public money,” and Sir Jhon Hutcheson, the senior 1 member fhr Wellington city, is likely 1 to give this opinion emphatic endorse- 1 merit. . :

THE NEW ZEALAND COMMISSION. EVIDENCE AGAINST FEDERATION. PBES3 ASSOCIATION. AUCKLAND, March 4. The Federation Commission commenced its Auckland session this morning at the municipal buildings. The Hon William Roileston, in answer to questions, stated that he had expressed his ideas on Imperial and Australian federation in a paper which ho had handed in. In his paper, which was read by the secretary, Mr Roileston said federation of the Empire must be a 'matter of gradual development. The maintenance of local independence and autonomy, together with the promotion of closer alliance with the Mother Country. were groat principles to bo kept in view;. As to the establishment of an Australian Commonwealth, including New Zealand, he could not give an unqualified opinion. A mutual federal tie. but without any surrender of local autonomy, would be of advantage to Australia and New Zealand. He could not believe that as between these two common interests, could not bo regulated by a commercial treaty. Federation ill that sense he regarded as a most desirable thing. The mixed system of finance under which the States and Commonwealth dipped their hands into the same purse would have a tendency to promote conflict between the local and federal Governments, and the central power would be likely to prevail. Federation should rather be a delegation by groups of States of some of their common functions to a central power as the occasion arose for the constitution of a central authority, with powers of overruling and absorbing the legislation and administration of States. Australasian federation would not necessarily be a stop to Imperial federation, and he could imagine circumstances under which it might lead to an opposite result. The effect of intercolonial froetrade upon our manufactures was hard to estimate. It might lead to our industries being seriously affected by competition with Australian goods. The effect upon our export of farm produce was equally hard to foresee.

Mr Peter Virtue, manager of the Northern Roller Milling Company, said in his opinion it was not to the interest's of the colony to federate with the Commonwealth, "but he thought a reciprocal tariff would work admirably. This colony had shinpod to Australia a large amount of produce, sometimes owing to drought there, but more often to overproduction. in New Zealand. If the bulk of New Zealand merchants were asked if they had benefited financially by shipping to Australia during the last fifteen years he thought ho would bo quite safe in anticipating their reply to bo "No.”

Mr James Park, manager of the Ope- ■! hnuga Woollen Mills, said his opinion , of federation as affecting the woollen \ trade was that wo were better as wc were. New Zealand mills could not; compete with the Australian so long as the latter manufactured shoddy so large-.; ly. If the woollen goods made in Aus- | tralia were all as pure as thoso of New 1 Zealand our mills could easily hold their I own. ! Dr Richard Laishley, barrister and j solicitor, said be had given considerable ! attention to the question cf federation. ' As far ss his Information went ho j thought the bnlcuee nf ■

against New Zealand federating was overwhelming. The three main arguments in favour of federation —a protective tariff, defence and alliance wi'h a great Commonwealth —were, he thought, largely over-weighed by other arguments. I Air A. C. 'Whitney, manager of the Colonial Ammunition Company, said ■ tho company had an establishment ir Australia. If New Zealand federated he believed the Auckland works would be given up and moved to Australia. That was if the company . had a free baud, but the Government ! might hare something to sr.y in the mat- . ter. Tho Rev J. Andrew, vice-chancellor of tho New Zealand University, said ho would bo sorry to see New Zealand federate. New Zealand was too far away from Australia, and so small, that she would bo overborne by the other States, j There were problems New Zealand could ! best work out for herself, j Mr William McLaughlin, a farmer, opJ nosed federation. Ho did not think j federation would give a larger market i for cur produce. I Mr Tims. Hadficld, a bootmaker, be- | lieved the prevailing fooling among i operative bootmakers way, against federaI tion, because of the tariff. He beliov- ! ed tho industry would suffer. ! Mr S. Vailc, recently president of tne Chamber of Commerce, was against New Zealand entering the Federation. 3 ■-.i-ou'd destroy the national hfo of New Zealand. Thirty-five subjects now dealt with by tho New Zealand a arliment would be talien out of tne -lancis of tho State Parliament. He feared New Zealand would also suffer in the matter of railways. „ Air Matthew Clark, president ox tne Auckland Provincial Industrial -association, thought financially feneration would bo a mistake. As a manufacturer. he thought the industries of New Zealand would he seriously injured. Only a few industries would ho ablo to hold their own. - Air Albert Sandford,_ representing the Tailoresses’ Union, said the union was opposed to federation. Mr Thos. Peacock was also opposed to Now Zealand joining tho Commonwealth.