THE AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2076, 10 May 1907, Page 2

THE AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL.

Press Association .—Copyright. SYDNEY, May 8. Jlr. Carruthers, complaining of tlio treatment New South Wales was 10ceiving from the Commonwealth, declared that anybody reading the late proceedings in London would never know such a place as New South Wales existed. They had come to the conclusion that Victoria was Australia and Victorian statesmen represented the whole of Australia. Referring to the capital site question there were two ways of settling the trouble, either for New South AVales to accept what the Federal Parliament had done and to agree to the Dalgety site, or to decline to accept the proposal. The people of New South Wales were united, and there was no compact which could tie them to the chariot wheels of any Federation. He desired to give the people an oportunity of saying at the ballot box whether they were prepared to accept Dalgety. If they were not satisfied with Dalgety, he would take further action, as it was never intended the seat of Government should remain unsettled for an indefinite period, and a junior state and a junior city should practically bo looked upon not only as the centre of Federation, but as representing Australia. The time for action had come. MELBOURNE, May 9. Sir John Forrest, replying to Mr. Carruthers, claimed that the delay iu fixing the Federal site was the outcome of interference from the New South AVales Government. No one thought the New South AA 7 ales Government might disapprove of the site selected. The' Federal Parliament never suggested or intended that New South AVales should dictate where the site should he. As to Mr. Carruthers’ threat, he did not think people had any desire to look backward. Their desire to he the dominant power in the Southern seas would never he realised other than by unity, and having taken a step forward in the direction of nationhood they could not step back.