Wairarapa Daily Times. [Established Quarter of a Century.] WEDNESDAY, DECEMBEB 19, 1900. THE BIRTH OF A NATION.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 6737, 19 December 1900, Page 2

Wairarapa Daily Times. [Established Quarter of a Century.] WEDNESDAY, DECEMBEB 19, 1900. THE BIRTH OF A NATION.

Wk shall bo--iu the spirit, if not in the llosh—at Sydney, on New Year's Day, the first day of a new century, a miirvollounly filling time for the great inauguration, Half the leading public men in New Zealand are flocking thither, impelled, no doubt, by the thought that ouo of the greatost events of their day is to be celebrated under the auspices of tbe grandson of their Queen. It is not altogether the future King of England whom they desire to see so much as to take part in the christenin? ceremony of a mighty nation, which may somo day shake the world, Whon the United States slarted as an independent Government, it possessed four millious of inhabitants—exactly the uumberof people who now are to bo counted in tho population of tbe new Auslralnsiau Dominion. We know how that less than a century brought the population of the United States from four millions to beyond forty millions; and a child, born to-day, may liye to soo forty millions of people liviug in Australasia. It ia not so much the present importance of tho Dominion as its future development,

We know that Australasia will now, under a Federal Government, bo more wisely ruled than New Zealand. No one under the rank of a statesman will hold a position in the Federal Cabinet j whereas in our own liltlo Peddlington, siatemauship is uo qualification for Cabinet rauk, and wo havo to be satisfied with third-rate men, instead of first-class oues. We believo that Federated Australasia will mako greater progress in the future than the component parts of it have achiovod in tho past; and that tho presont movement will haye Bpleudid results. It is a sorrow to ns that our own Colony should be au oufajder on such an occasion—that jtsbquld. haye missed its chance of beiug am original partner iu tho great syndicate of the Southern Seas; and that it must now wait tfll it can join on such terms as may bo accorded to a belated and uuiutefligent community. Sooner or later, New Zealand tpsp join the Commonwealth, and become Iho garden, of tho Federal Union, and tbe healthresortof Australasia—but that day is not yet. Howover, we aro pleased that so many Now ftealandors will see tho great inaugural authoring, and will, for the first time, come into touch with men who have faith in federation, The federal fever is catching, and it swept like a tire from Colony to Colony in Australia; and when it once comes here, it is likely to spread with equal rapidity. The only drawback to si visit to Sydney at this particular time of the year is warm weather. Our own Colony is quite hot enough, and those who go across tho seas to witness tho New Year Colobration will possibly find the birthday uncomfortably oppressive.

Tut. Masterton Chamber of Commerco seems to'be getting'into fair working -order, and we may espect some good 'results from its deliberations. Mr Donald Donald, at yesterday's meeting, made an excellent suggestion with regard

to allogcd minoral wealth in the neighbouring ranges; and it would almost have bcon expedient to havo appointed a special committee to follow up this Irinl as speedily as possible. This Is the tirao of the jcar when good work can bo dono in I ho ranges; and unless immediate advantage bo taken of Iho dry season, wo can hardly oxpect to score with any importaut Qtscovery during the coming year. No doubt, the member for Musterlon will do his best lomcottbewishcsoflhcChamborin securing the service of a Government expert ■, but official delays aro often unavoidable, and the matter of taking it up at all is ono of urgency.