The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 1900. NEW ZEALAND AND AN ISLAND FEDERATION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXII, Issue 222, 14 November 1900, Page 2

The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 1900. NEW ZEALAND AND AN ISLAND FEDERATION.

Under the above heading, Sir Robert Stout the Chief Justice of New Zealand, contributes a very interesting article to the current number of the Review of Reviews. Sir Robert, who is evidently an ardent believer in Island Federation, points out that the annexation to Britain of Pacific Islands has ever met with the cordial approval of all parties in New Zealand. There are, he says, three well marked aboriginal races in the Pacific, and the aboriginal inhabitants of New Zealand are cousins to the people of the main part of Polynesia, After referring at some length to the race. ties which unite the natives of the Pacific Islands, he goes on to say that the early settlers | of New Zealand ever had the idea of their colony playiag a part in Poly-1 nesian civilisation, and adds that many proofs of this can be given. There are J now in the colony large and valuable I reserves set apart by the Government,I fifty years ago, for educational purposes, in which the trust, in the grant j from the Grown, runs as follows: " In trust for the education of our subjects of all races, and of children of other poor aud destitute persons, being inhabitants of islands in the Pacific Ocean." It was thought that New Zealand was to be the civiliser of the Pacific, and that children of various islands could be brought to New Zealand and educated, and then that they, in their turn, cou d pass on the work of learning and civilisation to the people of the other islands. Continuing, Sir Robert Stout draws attention to another consideration that should not be overlooked in dealing with the relation of New Zealaud to the other Pacific Islands. The great geographer, Ritter (1779-1855), long ago pointed out that the earth might ba divided into a continental or territorial hemisphere, and an oceanic or terraqueous hemisphere. His division was made by drawing a circle through the coast of Peru and the South Asia. If that be done it will be found that one hemisphere will contain all tho continents save Australia and a bit of South America, and the other only Australia, this bit of South America, and the Po ynesian Islauds. In Guyot's " Earth and Ma..," page 64, there is a map of these two hemispheres. If these maps be scanned, it will be seen that London is ne;iv i.Jie ni'iitre of tinland hemisphere, -out JNow Zialand abont f.lui i!»utoe of the water homisj.uore. We have, then, a geographical posvo.on cij::, must ever make the ij-aesiion one for our consideration, livwi if tho Maoris were net aiiitd to the inhabitants of Eastern Polynesia. It is assumed by mwy that some new has been inaugurated in New Zealand regarding the Pacific Islands ■his, Sir Robert Stout rightly say?, s not so. For mora than fifty year s be public men of Nlw '£ almii hav* ><jen pressing on the Colonial Oftina thr iut-y of annexing the Pacific Islands. Had the request been accsded to, New Caledonia would not have 'men Froneh territory, nor Samoa partly German and partly American, If. would take up o:i much apace to give even a bri f outline of all that has been done by New Zealand to exfeeud the baunds <'f die Empire in Palync?io. It may bsufficient to point out that iu 188;! «.• New Zealand Pjiliataunt paastd ; "Confederation and Austx.ti.n Bi 1," which was reserved for Hui- M-jv.it>' pleasure, The pre:ml i«mi smfuiiuv- | -"Whereas it may from tiffii to Uuv ' Become sfasirnbh for ti* lairds of N- v; to coDtedpr«te with or anne-> one or more isianda iu the Pacific ».i> ilraviy belonging to or iuwW tin piof aay favipt Pow.i.' Powers." Be ir, etc. Tl-: 11 mau ..ruViui'Vfl for a. OoEniifs ion io ds.ii ra. projjuteu q,- nn/iosa-ioi., .i I ivpy.Vs t'U Ula 1-Jsi/ p:>. !i md a refaronw so Imj&mi Gov.-r,,-' mut to give dirce; to t 'ie <■; ■ tht W V, fcVwl.

Though the Imperial rights were thus j guarded, and a veto power left to the 1 Home Government, neither the Glad- j stone nor Salisbury Oovornmsnt, and both were appealed to, would advise . the Queßn to assent to the Bill. Prom i 1883 to 1887 was a period of unrest in * Polynesia. Fiji, Samoa, the Oook ] group, ete,, were all considering what t their future government should be. i The people of Fiji, through delegates, ; and by petitions, asked in 1884 and 1885 to be annexed to New Zealand. The present proposal for the confederation of Fiji with New Zealand is not therefore new. In 1884, the Hon. R. B. Leefe and other delegates waited upon the Premier, then Major Atkinson, asking for the annexation of Fiji. In the end of March, 1885, the following resolution was earried at a public meeting in Levuka: —" That this meeting hails with unqualified satisfaction the action of the Hon, J. B. Thurston, in advocating the annexation of Fiji to New Zealand, and that while heartily concurring with him as to its extreme desirability, it pledges itself to every eflort in the endeavour to off. ct this object." There were otter resolutions to the same tenor passed, and large petitions were forwarded to New Zealand praying for absorption. Then in 1885 two great Samoan Chiefs came to New Zealand as delegates from their people seeking annexation — namely, Tuiletufuga Upolu and Sue Manutafa. They were much charinged that the English Government turned a deaf ear to their people's requests. In the same year Queen Makea, of Raratonga, come to New Zealand, She was afraid of French annexation, and wished for an alliance with this colony. During the period I have referred to (18831887) New Zealand offered to undertake the responsibility of governing Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, and the Oook group; but neither political party in England would aid in the expansion of the Empire in Polynesia. The Colonial office was warned that if they were not careful Samoa would fall into Germany's hands. The warnings of 1886 were unheeded, and in 1899 saw Savrii and Upolu German territory, and Tutuila American. I may here add that the late Mr. Jameß Service, the Premier of Victoria, ably aided and co-operated with New Zealand in her efforts to give effect to the prayer of the islanders for British protection. In 1890 the first step forward was taken, so far as the Cook group was concerned, by the appointment of a British Resident, selected by the New Zealand Government. Mr. F. J. Moss, an able upright gentleman, was appointed. Ha was really Governor and Judge of the group. The natives were, however, allowed to govern themselves. They had their own Paliament and their own Courts. Mr. Moss' salary was paid by New Zealand, and this colony -got no advantage from the group oyer any other colony or country. Mr. Gudgeon, formerly a judge of the Native Land Court, and an experienced man in Maori affairs and language, succeeded Mr. Moss, and is now British Resident in Rarotonga. From what has been, said, it will appear how close the connection of Nsw Zealand is with these islands, and that her present policy, a policy of about fifty years or age, is being now tardily given effect to I>y the British Government, but not till after th# Navigator group has been loit to the Empire, As to Australia's attitude, Sir Robert contends that to enable the colonists of Australia to fairly consider that question they should call to mind what New Zealand did regarding New Guinea. New Zealand has little concern with New Guinea, The part of New Guinea that became British territory is outside of New Zealand influence or trade, She had no concern with this Pafman territory. But her public men saw that it was good for Australia and the Empire that New Suinea should belong to England, and when the Colonial Office asked that the jolonies should be at the expense of maintaining and governing the new territory. New Zealand agreed to pay tier share according to her population, jompared with that ef the other colonies. And she fulfilled her undertaking. New Zealand is now undertaking at lier own expense the government of islands in her range of influence, and s it too Eiiich to ask Australians to issiat her with kindly recognition? She has asked for no monetary contrijution from Australia, and she has ■ought and seeks no special trade advantages. She is striving to fulfill her nission as a colonising power in the Pacific, and to keep the islands from lie domination of foreign Powers, and Australia, the writer feels sure, will be us generous now as her public men, ike Mr. Service and others, were foureen years ago. In conclusion, Sir Robert emphasises the fact that the' lolicy b-ing pursued in Polynesia by 'few Zealand is not now, nor an outome of recant expansionist ideas. It ho says, lint trying to cany out what U political parlies in New Zealand iave striven for, and which a want of oresiglit in British Stitesraen has litherto prevented being r -alised.