PATER'S CHATS WITH THE BOYS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2882, 16 June 1909, Page 85

PATER'S CHATS WITH THE BOYS.

THE FEDERATION OF THE EMPIRE. Gradually the umits of the Empire are being dirawn together, and we can do worse than consider what has been done in, the past in the way of coalescing, and what may happen in. the immediate fu'tujre. This year will mark the commencement of an epoch 'm. the history of the Empire, bu+ many of us are not sufficiently conscious that we aa*e living in a history -making period, i- period that is of great concern to oui own Empire in particular. Just think for a moment what a oongerie of States the British Empire is. The world has nevei seen anytihing like it before. Will it again? But great as it is, it has not yet reached a perfected state, evep in a political sense. Lat us see how it has developed, and is developing^ politically. , The consolidiaftdon may he said to have commenced in 1707, when it was enacted that England, amd Scotland should have on© Parliament ; and the second step was •;io 1801, when Ireland was brought in andi England, Scotland, and Ireland came under the one House. Now go " heyon<? the seas." In 1867 Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick, each with its own Parliament, federated, forming th© Dominion of Canada, with a Dominion Parliament over the other Parliaments. In time other provinces oame in, but Newfoundland stall remains outside. In 1901, the A<ustraMan colonies a.nd Tasmania, each with its own Panliamemt, federated, and formed the Australian Commonwealth, with a Commonwealth Parliament . over the other Parliaments ; but New Zealand stands out as g second Dominion — indeed, we might call ourselves a Dominionette. Now we have another consolidation taking place. In South Africa, Cape Colony, the Orange River Colony (or Orangia), Transvaal, and Natal, with perhaps Rhodesia, all with their own Parliaments, propose to combine, but not, as in the othea ¥ cases, by having a Parliament over other Parliaments. There, there is to be a Union as with England, Scotland, and Ireland — a Parliament covering all, the present Parliaments disappearing. Just art present, Natal is inclinisd to stand out, but I think, even if she wished to, circu.mista.nces will be against her, and she will be embodied iai tlie Union. So, you see, Parliaments have been grouped under higher Parliaments. The next step i© ? Supposing we tabulated our Parliaments xjmethinig like this : — I.— BRITISH ISLES. England "I Scotland /"Union Parliament. Ireland ) . II.— CANADA. Newfoundland (not federated). ,__ Nova Scotia (Par.) j New Brunswick (Par.) - - Quebec <!"•«.> I _ Ontario (Pax.) Manitoba, (Par.) Parliament. Saskatchewan (Par.) Alberta (Par.) British Columbia (Par.) J lit— AUSTRALIA. Queensland (Par.) v \ New South Wales (Par.) Victoria (Par.) • South Australia. (Pa.r.) f Parliament Westralia (Par.) | Tasmania (Par.) ) IV— NEW ZEALAND. V.— SOUTH AFRICA. Rhodesia (?) "\ Natal 1 Union SSST 1 f lament. Cape Colony ) VI.— INDIA. %o Parliament. VII.— EGYPT. No Pa-rlian*ent. VIIL— BRITISH EAST AFRICA. No Parliament. IX.— Nigeria. No Parliament. X.— OTHER BRITISH POSSESSIONS. No Parliaments. It is quite possible that I may be a little out on the question of two or three Parliaments of colonies : but even if I am, that will not affect the general result. In time to come, Nos. VI, VII, VII, and IX may have Parliaments, but so far the suggestion to give these Parliaments does not come within the range of practical politics. Now, tabulate again, and see what the next steps will be: — 1_ Union Parliament of British Isles 2. Dominion Parliament of Canada 3. Commonwealth Parliament of Australia | EMPIRE 4. Union Parliament of I QR, South Africa f ln 5. New Zealand BRITANNIC 6. India PARLIAMENT. 7 E-ypt 8 British East Africa 9 Nijr-eTia 10. Other British possessions J A Parliament of Pailiaments of Parliaments — that is the final form, isn't it? And three forces are at work ju^t now he-lping to bring this about : — (a) The birth of modern nations — Germany, the Unted States, Japan, and perhaps China ; (b) ths Empire Press Conference, now being held in London ; and (c) the Empire Defence Conference to be held in London next month. There is a " but,'' however. I cannot help thinking that Germany can see further ahead than most citizens of the British Empire, and Germany is a young, growing, vigorous, ambitious nation. She sees this consolidation looming up, and wishes to be a"ble to work havoc before it can take place, for once it does, Germany's trade will be seriously hampered, because a Britanjiic Parliament will mean a systematic, taxing >f

ovx "whole Empire to provide meains of Empire defence ; but an- Empire system of taxation will mean the control of Empire policy by the Britannic Parliament ; and this again will mean some system of commercial reciprocity within the Empire and. a system of protection against the commerce of other nations. But perhaps this ideal stage will be preceded by a zoUvei'ein that is, a federation, purely on a commercial basis ; and perhaps in this zollverein may be included the United States, for I think that whenever our Empire is involved in a war, the United States, through the force of circumstances, will have to come in with us, for they will not tolerate any interference ■with their trade, and holling up ships containing Americar foods for Great Britain will assuredly cause a rupture, and line up the Americans -with us. Such are my opinions for what they are worth. Think Empire problems oxit for i yourselves, a,nd let me know, if you like, ■what you think of them.