IMPERIAL FEDERATION, AND HOW IT WOULD AFFECT THE FARMERS AND FRUIT-GROWERS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1905, 18 June 1889, Page 3

IMPERIAL FEDERATION, AND HOW IT WOULD AFFECT THE FARMERS AND FRUIT-GROWERS.

Major-General Strange, late of America, delivered a lecture on the above subject in the Oddfellows’ Hall, Geraldine, on Friday evening last, under the auspices of the Geraldine County Fruit-growers Association. There was a good attendance of *he public, representing all classes of the community. Mr B. K. Macdonald, president of the association, occupied the chair, and briefly introduced the leotnrer. In doing so, he detailed the circumstances that gave rise to the formation of the association, namely, the great nuisance the blackbirds and other birds were proving to the fruit-growers in t he Geraldine district, and the unsuccessful attempts hitherto made to cope with them. A public meeting had been called and the association formed. They had been carrying on for some time now as best they could,'but un ! eßß the public took more interest in the matter he could not see how the association would be carried on. Many people, he said, seemed to consider the objects of the asseciation were wholly and solely in the interests of the fruit-grower and lha msrket-gardener. He could assure them this was a great mistake. The objects of the association ns sot forth in Rule 1 also showed that this was a great mistake. He thought the objects would be better attained by a farmero’ dab and a fruit-growers’ club all in one. They might then bo able to have a reading-room, etc., where useful magazines dealing more especially with lha interests of the farmers and fruit-growers could be read. He considered that fruitgrowing could be made to piy handsomely in Hew Zealand, They had a magnificent climate, second to none. Against this, however, was the question of obtaining a market, and also the question of the middleman. He referred to a letter written by Mr J, Pye to the New Zealand Farmer, in which the writer spoke of the blackbird nuisance. The editor hc.d said, 1 in reply, that ns orchards got more plentiful in New Zealand the blackbirds would spread themselves over more of the country, and not be so severely felt in any one district. He (the chairman) thought that if the blackbirds continued to increase at the name rate as they had done in the past three or four years there would soon be enough of them to infest all the orchards that could be planted. (Applause). The lecturer, on rising, said that he bad been asked by their president to address them on Federation from a fruit-growers’ point of view. When thair president had been travelling in America on a visit to his cousin, the renowned statesman, Sir John Macdonald, he had seen that commerce could be brought about between Canada and New Zealand. It was commerce with Canada which formed the great link in the girdle which bound England and her colonies in one. It was upon the chairman’s suggestion he spoke to them that evening, and they had the chairman to thank for hia presence there and his address. (Applause.) From 18 years’ residence in Canada he had formed a strong conviction that there, were natural causes which linked that dominion to New Zealand. For instance, there was a long strip of country in Canada where orchard fruit would not grow. The warm norwestera there caused the sap to rise in the trees even in winter, and then the cold wind coming caused the bark to split, and thus the trees ware ruined. There

was a l.oavy duty upon tha fruit grown in California going into Canada, and h« believed a very good commerce could be carried on by New Zealanders rending their fruit to Canada via Vancouver Island, in spite of the duty the people in Canada had to pie a great deal of American fruit, paying a good price for it, as in a large tract of the country vegetables could not be raised, and apples (either fresh or dried) had to be used greatly in their place. On the western ranges of Canada apples had to form part of the daily rations of every man upon the stock ranches, as owing to the scarcity of vegetables, men otherwise got scurvy and similar diseases. Our apples, etc., would arrive there when their’* ware all out of season, and consequently would command a good price. Besides, the weather would be warm, and there would be no fear of our fruit being frozen and spoilt, as was often the case with Canadian fruit. Canada being cold, a large quantity of wool was required, and this she would take from us. Canadian delegates had been visiting the Australasian colonies to see if commercial relations could not be opened up between them and Canada. Canada wanted these commercial relations with us because America was so unfriendly to her. America wanted to annex her, but Sir John Macdonald and her other statesmen were very slow to give up their liberty, and hitherto she had resented all the overtures of America for annexation. (Applause.) They had declined commercial relations with America, but they must have commercial relations with somebody, and so came to these colonies. Canada was a long ribbon of commerce, from east to west, fastened up at the western end, and we had the key, and it would pay us to open that western end. There was an effort being made to have a line of steamers running from Vancouver Island, and also a cable terminating there. There was also an effort being made to keep the San Francisco route open, but he hoped New Zealanders were not going to be so thick-headed as to be subsidising an American line when they would not have cur wool, etc., and were sending wheat to undersell us in Australia. If we were foolish enough to do that he was mistaken in os. Canada could take our wool, and send us back all we wanked. Tinned salmon, for instance, was often sent to England and back again to New Zealand. Agricultural implements, reapers and binders, and a host of other things, weie as well made and would come cheaper from Canada than from America as at present, because ships would be earrying freights both ways, instead of running one way comparatively empty. The lumber trade could also be greatly developed. The cable, 100, should go through our own country. The speaker here detailed the line followed by the present cable. Java he pointed out might ere long become a German possession. They had got one at New Guinea, and that was for want of Imperial Federation. Egypt had always been—and probably would always be—the battle-ground of the world, and it was not safe for the cable to go through there. It should go through Canada and the deep waters of the Pacific, where it was not so easy for a foe to dredge it up, and where it could be watched with comparative ease by our owu cruisers, The cost of cablegrams would only be fid per word by tha proposed route,as against 7s fid per word by the present route. He contended it was only natural that New Zealand should be united with England. New Zealand had so very much that was like England. Their climates were much alike, but New Zealand’s was better, and, as New Zealand produced the moat splendid savage the world had ever seen, so he believed she w ould produce ..the most splendid civilise d men. (Applause.) He thought it would be folly to cut adrift from the parent country. He was ghd they taught* history in the public schools of New Zealand, and regretted that in the schools in Victoria they did not teach it. He thought the boys and girls there should be taught the history of the grand and glorious nation from which they had sprung. New Zealand would have to be up and stirring if sbo wished to develop Ihe fruit trade in Canada, for already the Tasmanians were pushing their fruit in Canada and America. The speaker here read over the programme of the Imperial Federation League, which had been formed in London for the purpose of securing the permanent unity of the British Empire. He said some, people lalked about the colonies separating from England, and instanced the ripe fruit dropping off the parent tree, but they all knew what happened to the ripe fruit which dropped off a tree : it simply rotted. The empire should be rather compared to a tree and its branches. The Roman empire fell to pieces because it was composed of different races, but here we were of one race and one blood. He did not think we could retain our independence long apart from Great Britain, and he was certain they did not want to separate. (Applause). The enormous sums now being voted for war ships by the British Parliament were not only to protset England, but also to protect her colonies. England thought more of us than we of her, and the more Englishmen saw of us the better they liked us. The basis of representation in the federation councils would be on population. Canada bad six millions of a population, and the Australian colonies three millions, consequently the colonies would have a one-fourth vote; Besides this the English people were just people, and a large proportion of the English people would be with the colonies in matters concerning them. The colonial population was increasingevery day, while the population of England could hardly increase very much, owing to want of room, so that by and by the colonies would have the preponderance of the votes. At present the colonies were in danger of that dissension which separated America from England, namely, taxation without representation. War might come' about at any time, and we had to tax ourselves to protect this portion of the empire without having a voice as to whether war should take place or not. We should have a voice in this, but we should not get a voice in it unless we asked for it. Speaking of the order made lately by Lord Knutsford that the title of Honorable should only apply to the colony in which it was given, he ridiculed the idea that a person who had been elected to Parliament by some small borough in England, and by his party coming into power getting into office, and being made the head of the Colonial office, having the light to eay that titles bestowed by the Crown should only hold good in the colony in , which they were granted. Members of

both the Liberal and Conservative parties in England were, he said, taking up the question of Imperial Federation, and were doing their best to keep it clear of politics, recognising itsgroat importance. Hehoped it would be kept clear of politics in this country, and that branches of the league would be formed everywhere. Speaking for himself, he said that he was speaking on this subject of Imperial Federation from sheer love of the question. Ho had served his country in Europe, Asia, and America, and his heart warmed to the people of New Zealand, as he had found were about the best people he had ever met, and he could not brook the idea of the colonies ever being separated from the Mother Country. (The speaker was loudly applauded on concluding his interesting lecture.) On the proposition of Mr J. Williams, seconded by Mr J. Pyo, a hearty vote of thanks to Major-General Strange for his address was carried by acclamation. The Rev. G. Barclay said he was greatly interested by what bad been said. He liked what bad been advanced with regard to fruitgrowing, and a possible outlet for our fruit. He did not think the subject of Imperial Federation was as well known as it might be. He would be exceedingly sorry to see anything like disentegration of the empire, tie would bo glad indeed to see a cable running principally through our own territory, where no stranger could put his foot upon it, and where our own presence would protect it. Mr W. Postlethwaite hsd also great pleasure in being there that evening to hear tbs Major’s interesting and instruc tive address. If we wished to see Imperial Federation carried out we must trade with England as England trades with us. If we only combined with them we should be one of the greatest nations of the world. Ho had considerable respect for the Americans,paving seen something of them. One thing was they were almost as much devoted to English institutions as Englishmen. They looked upon the noble institutions and the achievements of Englishmen in the past as still belonging to them, and as being the actions of their forefathers. He believed there coaid be a good trade developed with Canada for orchard fruit. A vote of thanks to the Chairman terminated the meeting. Coffee and light refreshments, provided by the chairman, were then handed round, and a social half-hour’s chat having been indu’gsd in the meeting dispersed.