NEW ZEALAND AND FEDERATION.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 10 June 1901, Page 4

NEW ZEALAND AND FEDERATION.

(our own correspondent.) Auckland, This Day. Mr W. F. Massey, M. H. R., speaking at Otahubu from a federation point of view on the question of the effects which federation would have upon New Zealand markets for produce, thought it would bo prejudioal. Last year, for instance, New Zealand exported over £1 000,000 worth of goods in produce, Sydney taking more than all the rest put together. If New Zealand joined the federation she would have freetrade with all the other parts of the Commonwealth, as she had with Sydney ; but if New Zealand did not join she would loose Sydney so far as a protective tariff could keep her out. Again, if New Zealand joined she could, with her means of communication, etc., pretty well do all the trade with West Australia, which had taken a largo quantity'of New Zealand produce. Outside the Commonwealth New Zealand would, bo was afraid get a very small share of that trade and altogether she would bo very heavily handicapped in competing with the colonies within the Commonwealth when they were protected by the tariff; but as she had waited so long ho thought she had better wait a little longer and see how the experiment worked out in Australia. Federation was in the air, and not only federation with Australia, but there was also tho federation with the Cook Islands. He had no doubt they would want representation. Probably it would bo one member in each House. New Zealand would require to educate the natives as .-he had done the Maoris, administer the law, keep the peace, and, ns they would bo to all intents and purposes citizens of tho colony, Now Zealand would be expected to provide their aged with old-age pensions; in fact, until the experiment had been tried there was no telling where New Zealand’s responsibility would end. Then there was tho question of Fiji. He would draw the line very clearly and plainly against the inclusion of Fiji within the boundary of tho colony of New Zealand. One of the Premier’s proposals was to federate, and another was to include Fiji as an integral

part of New Zealand; but whichever was intended, the position was worthy of the most serious consideration before effect was given to it. The distance between New Zealand and Fiji was 1400 miles, greater than the distance to Australia. There were 100,000 natives, 14,000 coolies 0000 half-castes, 4000 Europeans, and under the circumstances-he could not see how any form of Government other than the present (Fiji was a Crown colony) could be possible. If they had a representative Government the Europeans, being so largely in the minority, would be at the mercy of the natives. Supposing that that the Premier’s proposal to make the islands an integral part of New Zealand was adopted, the natives would have to be represented in her Par. liainent. That would mean 11 representatives from Fiji, one from Cook Island, and, with our own four Maori members, would make a total of 10 native representatives in Parliament, and ho was inclined to think that such a state of things would hardly be conducive to good government. He fancied he saw the interest they would take in questions of such importance to New Zealand as the land, mining, banking and education. He thonght the people of New Zealand had better bear the ills they have than fly to those the}' know not of. One of the Premier’s arguments in favour of federation was that a foreign Power might take Fiji; but Fiji was British and the British did not let go of what they had. Then, again, there was the coloured labour difficulty. He ; would never consent to such a piebald [ federation as that proposed by the Pre--1 mier, and if there were a dozen men in the House of the same mind (and there were more than a dozen) there would be no federation with Fiji without an appeal to the people of New Zealand. He would not allow the ambition and vanity of one man to interfere with the future of such a great and rising country as New Zealand.