THE ISLANDS QUESTION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIII, Issue 194, 29 August 1901, Page 3

THE ISLANDS QUESTION.

[per pbess association.] Sydney, August 28. It transpires that when John <Higginson. who is closely identified with [French possessions in the Pacific, went to France some months ago he was the bearer of an important letter from an influential body of merchants interested in the Pacific trade, asking him to repressnt to the French Government the desirableness of modifying or removing the present trade restriction* between the Commonwealth and Frtrch posKissions. The Telegraph «ays that the suspicions that New Zealanders desire to obtain control of some «f the islands had at the back of it a movement set up for a second federation in Pacific has been partially justified by New Zealand's announcement of a special Customs tariff for -ho Ckjlc group. The paper urges that it should be the v : g!lant aim of the Commonwealth to prevent any federation between New Zealand and the Islands, as seems contemplated, especially with regard to Fiji, in which the Commonwealth has immediate trade interests. New Zealand's expansion in a manner threatened to be harmful not only to the Commonwealth, bub to invite a second federation. The time may come when some Island communities may desire to be entitled to govern themselves in the widest colonial sense, for it does not follow they are going to be annexed to Australia in this respf ct.