AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIIC, Issue 14223, 14 June 1910, Page 2

AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND.

POINTS OF DIFFERENCE. In the debate at the MethodistGeneral Assembly at Adelaide, liev. I'. . Fairclough followed Dr. Fitchetb, who had moved an amendment against the motion for granting independence to New Z&alaiid. and the popular Weslevan Minister made as usual i clever speech. He said he delighted ;» hearing Dr. Fitchett's breezy talk. !);• Fitcheti oould talk luminously, on any subject under heaven, on any side of it. for or .against, and whether he knew anything about iti or not. He called the New Zealanders insular. Well, they were insular. He was not ashamed of reflecting; the nature oi' his' country and the character of their race. There" were islands at the antipodes of New Zealand. and their insularity had made them greater than all continents, it was their insulariity that enabled them to put up fights for the Flag.—(Laughter.'* Their very cnasi lines had inspired many of the deeds that won the Empire—(laughter)—and had enabled England to save Kurope.—(Laughter.)

Dr. l'itchett: You've a good taste in literature.

Mr I' airclough: Now Ze:il:nulers wore accused of being ydeclged. That referred (inly tn this one unique subject. It showed that the Xow Zealand 1 Conference were in desperate earnest, and in any case only meant "don't be talked over by Dr. Fitehett." The invitation to bear argument after forty years reminded the speaker of the fox who called the inhabitants of the poultry yard together to ask what sauce they wished to be eaten with. They replied: ' ; \Ye don't wish to be eaten at all." "That's a digression," replied the fox. —(A Voice: "A matter of digestion.'') Not for the poultry. It was said that they had freedom in administration and equality in legislation. Where was the equality in one to live? If New Zealand wanted anything that Australia did not want,, it was one to five. — (\ oices : "No. no,'' and "Example. Take ministerial exchange, for example. Hut he was not framing an indictment. Hi' was only asking for liberty to legislate for themselves. Even if they did it worse than the General Conference did. it was better that they should do it themselves. Still, it was possible for Australian views of New Zealand affairs to be defective. Australia had needed a stripper for its brittle crops and a slump-jumping plough. She had invented them. New Zealand would never have invented them, or have encouraged the inventors. X'ew Zealand, on the other band, had needed a drain plough, and had invented it. It was worth millions, but would have been laughed at in Australia. There were similar distinctive needs in church life. There were in Nature fixed and unalterable forces, primal and elemental, imponderable. intangible, but patient as the mills oi Clod, that would" bend all things to their curve. Climate was one of these. It began by affecting clothing. food, architecture, and home, life, and ended in changing complexion, features. stature, health, morals, taste*, ideals, and sentiments. I'olitieal divisions ran mostly east and west, to divide north from south. It was a question of temperature and climale. Sydney could not govern Victoria to the south, nor Queensland to the north. New Zealand differed whole skies from Australia in climate. Scenery was admitted to be another subtle force in producing national tvne. The Swiss and the Dutch temperaments were familiar examples. "Was there to be no difference beLween the shepherd of the New Zealand Alps and the drover of the XererXever Xew Zealand would differ, from Australia —amicably if left without constraint, but with increasing friction ii' coerced. New Zealand had reached the round million in population, and there was a rising sense of nationhood. The people had come direct fro in the Old Country, and not viia Australia. They kifcnv little and cared less for the. Common wealth.

Other New Zenlanders mentioned the difference of national sentiment. Mr J. C. Stephens (Dunedin) said there was a distinct type growing iro ill Xow Zenland. There was a distinct tvne growing up in Australia. It was" Australian. and Xew Zealanders were outside it. He did not complain against iti. He rejoiced in it. But it was inimicai to New Zealand. Tn the moving of the amendment Dr. Fitehett had caught himself sayinu; Australia., but had corrected himself in time to say Australasia. In things political not TO per oapt. of New Zealanders vote

in favour of Federation wiih the Cn"> n>on» ea It li. It Mas the uali< nal sri-i! of the Dominion —a nation of itseir. Rev, C. 11. Lows said that hj« and his fellow-representatives were there to speak lor a sereirate and distinct nation. Australians were proud to he Australians. He and his co-delegates were New Zeahtuders. They had a keen, quick, natioii.il liifo of their own. and were not less proud to be New Zealanders than tho Australian delegates wero to be- Australians. . . . The hour had struck when the Dominion should take its place as a self-governing community. Air T. JT. Blackwell (Kaiapoi). speaking as a representative of young New Zealand, emphasised the national spirit and the fixed purpose of being independent. Air Blackwell gave a very good impression of New Zealand young laymen.