Rangitikei Advocate. TWO EDITIONS DAILY. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 6. EDITORIAL NOTES.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXVII, Issue 10521, 6 December 1912, Page 4

Rangitikei Advocate. TWO EDITIONS DAILY. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 6. EDITORIAL NOTES.

FOLLOWING up our previous references to the. Unification " of the Empire we may point out that already there has been a tendency shown bv some portions to amalgamate the various states. Why not encourage and extend this tendency? Let any able man in any part of the Empire be eligible for any position in its Government. Work the whole as one vast Commonwealth —the greatest, richest and most progressive that has e%er been possible since the beginning of history, embracing in it all the Englishsneaking countries, with the exception of America. Possibly, however, if this unification, this true federation, was accomplished, the United States, seeing the great advantages to be gained, might also join that which would then be the Anglo-Saxon Federation—the ruler ■ of the world and a guarantor of perpetual peace, or at least of the safety of the race against all antagonists, Owing to the colonies having borrowed large sums to enable then to develop their resources there is a tendency to rely on high tariffs and to develop ana extend protection, even against the Motherland, and this tendency is artfully used bv the labour leaders to secure ends they have in view, among which are isolation, the restriction of immigration, and forcing up the price of any articles that can bo manufactured in the colonies, even if these can only so he manufactured at a loss and under adverse con- *

ditions. It; is. not yet generally realised that restrictive tariffsmean loss of revenue to the treasury, and that the colonies, while preeminently capable of producing raw materials, cannot for many years to come compete with Home manufacturers on even terms. Now though the Colonies have borrowed largely from the Motherland their assets are enormously in excess of their liabilities, and as most of the money has been spent on development, they are progressing, and the value of the assets is increasing, so that the security becomes greater and sounder with each succeeding year. There is therefore no ground for any fear that the bondholder may lose his money through any colony making default or becoming unable to pay. But even if L there were, the bondholder should welcome any plan which will give him absolute security. If the colonies had not to provide certain sums annually for payment of interest on their public debt they would, of course, the more readily fall into line with the freetrade policy of the Motherland. An Imperial scheme of course would not free them from their liability, but it would make all public debt, including these and the National debt of Britain, a charge on the whole Empire. The total public debt of Australasia amounts to about £300,000,000, and of this a considerable amount is revenue-producing. Possibly if the whole of this was taken over by the Empire and the debts were converted, the net cost, over and above the receipts from public reproductive works, would not exceed two millions peranuum—about the cost of a Dreadnought—which assuredly would not be an excessive price to pay tor a United Empire. The cost of similar transaction in regard to Canada would probably be less. As each portion of the Empire would have to bear its share of the consolidated public debt this could be provided for by setting aside for this specific purpose a certain portion of the revenue. The duties to be levied for revenue purposes could from time to time be fixed by the Imperial Council, composed of representatives from all parts, and revenue required for local purposes could be raised by local taxes or rates. While the Empire would be worked as one gigantic co-operative concern each State would be allowed to legislate as it pleased on all social questions and on such as do not conflict with Imperial interests.