The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE. Equal and exact justice to all men, Of whatsoever state or persuasion, religious or political. THURSDAY, FEB. 13, 1890.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 2744, 13 February 1890, Page 2

The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE. Equal and exact justice to all men, Of whatsoever state or persuasion, religious or political. THURSDAY, FEB. 13, 1890.

Mr McMillan, the Treasurer of New South Wales, has paid a flying visit to Now Zealand, and we are informed by telegram from Melbourne that he is now delivering himself of his experiences to the good people of that city. It seemed to Mr McMillan that the subject of Federation had never seriously been broached in New Zealand. Their education on the subject was only beginning. Again, "the people of each part of New Zealand appeared as much isolated in their views as if they were distinct and separate colonies." Mr McMillan thought that the remedy for this isolation was railway communication "to all parts as far as practicable." He also was of opinion that the New Zealanders feared a union with Australia would " interfere with their sentiment of loyalty to the Mother Country," which, he rightly ob serves, is very strong. According to the telegrams these are the opinions carried back to his own colony, and disseminated in others, by one occupying thq high position of a Minister of the Grown. They are a warning to all men not to speak with confidence of a country in which, their experience has been so short as that of Mr McMillan in New Zealand. So far from not having considered, and not understanding the subject of Federation, what colony has had practical experience of that form of Government equal to New Zealand ? In n»»rly a quarter of a century, during the most critical period of our history, we had a Federal Government with nine subsidiary provincial Governments, each having its own Legislature and elected Executive. To it we owe the present unity of New Zealand—the fact that the isolation of its several parts did not split it into several colonies, each with its own Custom House, Supreme Court, fiscal system, mail service, and Colonial Government as in Australia. We know from this experience the constant tendency of the central authority to encroach upon the functions of the minor local divisions. We know how much this tendency is increased by a mixed finance, on which both central and local governments " feed out of tho same dish." As the country grows and interests become more implicated, each strives for the larger share. Jealousies arise and disputes are sure to occur. The spirit of officialdom grows with these disputes and the country falls under a Bureaucracy, only partially responsible and all-powerful. This has been our experience in New Zealand. We have a keen remembrance of the bitter struggles that followed disputes between the local and central porters. They ended in the future absorption of'those local governments by the Federal Government, landed us in confusion, and added materially to the debt in the absence of direct local responsibility. Through all this we have gone painfully, step by step. Mr McMillan must have known little of our past history, to have fallen into the error of supposing that the question of federation is but little understood in New Zealand.

We understand it too well to rush into any engagements, without due care and forethought. If they can be made satisfactory, we shall be only too glad to find New Zealand included in an Australasian Dominion. But the difficulties must be fairly met and overcome. For the Continental colonies these difficulties are comparatively slight. They will be within easy reach of their constituents, and can be watched, or encouraged by them as occasion may require. They will get rid of vexatious border customs, and have a united army and navy available for any part of the dominion at any moment, and with railways' for concentration. We shall be outside the circle. Oar representatives in the Federal Legislature may find themselves of very little weight in its final dtcisions, however, seriously affecting their country. On what principle will the finances of the separate provinces of the new Federation ba passed? This is a most important consideration. If the American systptn be adopted, the Federal Government will absorb the whole of the Customs Revenue, and leave the provinces to depend on direct taxation for all internal works and improvements, saving only the main post roads of the dominion. To settle what shall be main post roads, is comparatively easy in Australia- when they would diverge from the federal centre. To do so in distant New Zealand would be less easy. We should be able to exercise little direct influence on the question, and be largely at the mercy of the Federal Ministers. They, in their turn, would be largely at the mercy of the Federal Under Secretaries. This has been our own experience in the past in most things where local knowledge was an element in arriving at a right decision on public questions. If we adopt the Canadian system, nominate the Lieutenant Governor of provinces, and give the provinces a share of the Federal Revenue, we lay the foundation for similar disputes to those which tore our own federation to pieces, and are threatening similar trouble in Canada. The step once taken cannot be retraced. Secession will be justly regarded by the rest as treason, and suppressed with a high hand for the safety of all. We feel that_ it behoves us to act with due caution in taking any step that must for ever deprive us of the entire control of our own affairs, and place the most weighty of them in the hands of a distant Government, from which

we shall be separated by 1200 miles of ocean. Errors, at starting, that would be of small moment to Australia, in face of the enormous benefits she would derive from federation, would be deadly to us in New Zealand, where the countervailing benefits must be less appreciable. To cultivate the most friendly spirit, to foster in every way intercolonial free-trade ; and to have the closest treaty for mutual defence, are points on which there will be perfect agreement from end to end of New Zealand. But before parting with the control of our highest State affairs, we prefer waiting to see what arrangements Australia will make to secure the union of its now divided colonies, without impairing the local independence of each. To attempt taking part in the formation of such arrangements would place us in a false position. Therefore, we watch and wait. That is the real attitude of New Zealand when people, from sharp experience, understand perfectly well the difficulties of the problem about which Mr McMillan thinks them so imperfectly informed.