NEW ZEALAND AND AUSTRALIA.

Wanganui Chronicle, Issue 12848, 26 January 1912, Page 5

NEW ZEALAND AND AUSTRALIA.

MR FISHER'S FEDERATION

PROPOSALS

(United Press Association —Copyright..

Received January 25, 8.55 p'.m

MELBOURNE, January 25

In the course of an .interview with IMr Hoben, editor of the " Manawatu Daily Times," Mr Fisher elaborated his ideas regarding closer relations between ,-. Australia and New Zealand. .. For many years he had held the view that everything should be done to forward ithis. His party were fully with him in the matter, as was shown at the Hobart Labour Conference, -where his motion in favour of closer political,-industrial and commercial relations with New Zealand was seconded by Mr ' McGowen (Premier of the senior State), and carried unanimously. The New Zealand Government would be., approached to see what were the best steps to carry the proposal into effect. He Teg-retted that New Zealand was not 'coming into the Commonwealth, but whatever difficulties .might be against Federation there should be complete co-operation in the matter of defence. He hoped that a- few years hence New Zeal and would see its way to (assist in making ith-e Australian navy an Australasian navy by -building vessels 'of her own. Apart from this, he considered there should be very full reciprocity between the Dominion and the Commonwealth, amounting even to freetrade. The countries must mutually gain strength and wealth if their productions were freely interchanged.