The Recent Conference

Feilding Star, Volume V, Issue 1, 5 January 1884, Page 3

The Recent Conference

'Oiticittng-^th'e personnel of the jneihbersat the recent Intercolonial : Conference,' the Melbourne Daily ...; Telegraph writes : <m New ..Zealand. t)irnu<fh Maj'r Atkinson and Mr Whstaker, exercised,, w« t»ke it more dominant influence than any other ; colony iave Victoria. Ihfty »re twin veterans in othtT than poli ic«i affa ; rB. Mr Whiraker being the father of the Bar in that colony while hiscollea-jupa ' prowess in the fiercest <>t the Maori -ware earned for him the adn irng Bouhriqnet of *tbe fighting maj»r.' jfl'.Q cultivated minds and sound ju. g> .. tnent both gentlemen add the wisdom . that comes from age and special persona) knowledge of Australio-Poly. nestan relations during the last forty years, since indeed such relations were created by New Zealand. It may, 'ther^rei- readily conceived how invaluable their counsel and co-oper- .. «tion have been, and now imperfect u'.< the Convention would have been without them. Their larger knowledgeof tb» islands and further inlisrht .-into the peril* of leaving them waifs r and stray* to be claimed and occupied " $y. <ke first power so inclined, no accounts for the vigor with which they supported and supplemented the comparatively aggressive '■'■^ "j^olwy of Victoria. Not the least of ■' the indirect benefits of tho late <rather- ; ing will bfr the closer union of New \" Zeal4n^d with Australia, brought about ■ -^^by the mutual appreciation engendered "between her able representatives and '".'ihosißor'tiw mother cplbnfes." ..,. . i