The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1, 1916. POLITICAL UNITY OF THE EMPIRE.

Taranaki Daily News, 1 March 1916, Page 4

The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1, 1916. POLITICAL UNITY OF THE EMPIRE.

It is generally recognised by all who study the effect that the present war is lil-rely to have, that the old Europe as we knew it will have disappeared when the war ends, but the form it will assume cannot be guessed at present with any accuracy. With regard, however. I to tlie relations between the .Motherland and the Dominions there can be no question that tlie unity whicli has been fM firmly welded during the war will be given practical recognition, so that it will exist as a reality and not as a mere exhibition of sentiment. Some few weeks ago the Earl of Rosebery, when presiding at a lecture given by ;Professor J. IJ. Morgan at University College, London, made a most interesting and instructive speech on Imperial Federation and the reorganising of the Empire. There are few British statesmen in a better position to deal with this subject than Lord Rosebery, who has learnt on the spot what the Canadians and Australians think on this matter. He referred to the great change that had come over the people of the overseas dominions of late years, and especially since the outbreak of the present war. The Dominions have leaped into the arena of their owi accord. They have fought under the Imperial flag with a heroism that lias J almost surpassed the best traditions of military history, and it follows as naturally as night gives way to dawn that the blood whicli has been shed on behalf of the Motherland must, in its consequence, change the. constitution of the Empire. Lord Rosebery considers that it immaterial what form the change takes, for there are so many breaches in the walls of the British Constitution that there is ample opportunity for rebuilding "when we can find the areMtect.'' This question of the reorganisation of the Empire is one that is going to tax the best intellects of the component parts to the utmost, but, in time, it will be accomplished and gradually brought as near perfection as possible. '•I cannot doubt," said Lord Rosebery, "that when the arduous efforts of tlie peace congress are over, there will appear higher peaks behind mountain summits, there will appear the almost more gigantic task of reorganising the British Empire. We have not hitherto been very elastic in our constitutional dealings, but we shall have to clean a good deal off our slate, before we begin to write tlio new organisation of the Empire upon it. Rod grant that wisdom and power may be given to our statesmen in that day, whenever it may come, that the patriotism of our outer Dominions will lie shown as much in those bloodless conn-' 'oils as" it has been in the fields of tlie Dardanelles and Flanders." Apparently there is only one practical method whereby the Empire shall become politically united, and that is bv the institution of a permanent Council of Empire, wherein al 1 the Dominions shall be represented; but, as Lord Rosebery wisely points out, the reorganisation of the Empire so that it shall actually be a self-subsisting entity depends more, on the wiping off the slate than on the new matter that is to be used for building un the revised Constitution. The status of the Dominions will not he affected, hut the strength o' the Empire will be materially increased by the existence of a supreme Imperial Council directly representative of the units which constitute the whole, so that the Empire may have a welldefined policy on all matters which ■jointly affect the Motherland and the Dominions. The old order must pass, for the war has broken down all barriers and ofaMd 119. njw vistas, When th»

time arrives to discuss terms of peace a new era of Imperial unity will liave dawned, heralding the birth of a truly united Empire and welcoming the sage advice and assistance of the foremost statesmen of the various Dominions in the Council of Greater Britain. Meanwhile there are many problems to thresh out and many dangers to face, but the foundations of an actual unity of Empire have already been laid and only iiwit a fitting superstructure designed by :iu architect, well qualified for the bsk.

DUPLICATED INCOME TAX. It will be seen Tjy this morning's cables that the old grievance, relative to paying income tax in the Dominions and in Britain ,ti respect of the same commeroal ami financial undertakings, has been revived, a largely attended meeting in London being called to protest against this -duplication of income tax within the Empire. The question is not one that concerns the public in general, but it affects Colonial banks, mercantile and financial houses, and possibly a few private people. For the moment we are not concerned with the merits or justice of the case of those who are striving to avoid paying income tax twice ovev. The matter lia.s been several times pressed on the attention of the British l.overnmcnt, but. so far without success. The speakers at the meeting in question threw no new light on the subject, but rather obscured the true position of the matter by talking pure unadulterated rubbish. For instance, the mover of the resolution of protest contended that the double tax would have the most serious effect in preventing the lies of Empire being .drawn as close as possible; also, that if head offices of companies and firms were to leave the United Kingdom, the tendency would be to get their plant somewhere else. If the strengthening of the ties of Etnpire depends 011 such frail and nebulous theorieß as these tnen the ties are but mere cobwebs that can be blown to shreds by the first high wind. This is only one example of the pitiful special pleading that was utilised to support the effort for relief. The one point that rea'ly matters—and this appears to have lieeii wilfully ignored by the meeting— k; that a time of unparalleled crisis like that which now exists, when Britain is in the throes of the greatest financial struggle she has e\er had to fate, should have been chosen by wealthy financiers and merchants to add to the Covernmfill's troubles bv ''coking to cut oil' one of its sources of revenue. This is the sort of patriotism thai begins at home, continues at lumi", and uiuU. r.t home. J!. dilili-ult to .jiiati-lv critici-ie such an ill-timed kHloii. Adiiiiltirg that the payment of double income t:iv i;> not in principle equitable, it can be conceived that there are collateral circumstances which justify such an imposition. Howover, that is for the Imperial fiovernlnont to decide, but they should not be called upon to deal with the question now. The proper time for this matter to be settled is at an Imperial Conference, or it might well wait till the advent of that Council of Empire which is likely to bo created after .the war.