WHITE AUSTRALIA,

Gisborne Times, Volume XVII, Issue 1375, 9 February 1905, Page 2

WHITE AUSTRALIA,

THE TIMES GETTING ANXIOUS ABOUT THE .MAILS, f

By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright Received 12.13 p.m., Feb 9. London, Feb 8. The Times says: “ The ideal of a Whiso Australia, reasonably interpreted and parsued by reasonable means, would commend itself to the sympathy of every Englishman, but as applied to the mail service the doctrine has been dragged into a matter upon which it has not the remotest bearing. The practical working of the anti-colour clause ends in an absurdity. Even the Commonwealth theoretical starting point is hardly clearer. A White Australia doctrine is at least sweeping, but is not the Commonwealth casuistical in ustif.ying the transmission by homeward }onnd mail Bteamers employing coloured labour on the ground alone of poundage rates and not subsidy? Nevertheless the effort to lessen the inconveniences is a sign of grasping the seriousness' of the situation. We wish there were reasons for thinking that the Commonwealth also accepted the high arguments of Imperial policy embodied in Mr Chamberlain’s unanswerable final despatch. The disadvantages of the situation will be far more heavily felt in Australia than in Britain. Instead of fostering inter-communication by all possible means, building trade connections and generally strengthening Aus tralia’s foundation, the Commonwealth" Government is pursuing a course threatening serious damage to Australian trade and the interests of the Motherland.