The Temuka Leader THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 1890. NEWFOUNDLAND.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2058, 12 June 1890, Page 2

The Temuka Leader THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 1890. NEWFOUNDLAND.

What is going on at present is instructive. We do not pretend to understand the full details of the dispute, nor have we space at our disposal to go into them at present further than to just glance at the position. Newfoundland is, just like New Zealand, a British colony, and consists of two islands, one being Newfoundland proper and the other Labrador, the two being separated by the Straits of Belle Isle. These, as our readers know, comprise a part of North America, and have a population of over 200,000, it being in 1884 197,835. The form of government is

much like our own, and the staple industry is fishing. There are 60,419 of the men engaged in fishing, 1685 in farming, 8628 are mechanics, and 3860 are miners. Naturally enough, therefore, the fishing industry is of great importance there, a fact which can be easily recognised when it is known that they export about 5,000,000 dollarsw'orth of fish annually. It is therefore not a bit to be wondered at that they look with alarm at the ITench

coming into their waters and destroying their industry, more especially when it is remembered that the French Government pay a bounty on the amount of fish taken by their own people. This bounty enables the French fishermen to sell their product cheaper than the Newfoundlanders, and hence the trouble. The cod was the principal fish caught on the Newfoundland coast, but from the cablegrams we notice that lobster fisheries have been cultivated, and that the French seem to lay claim to these also. The cod fishery was commenced in 1501 by the Portuguese and French, but in 1586 the English seized all foreign vessels and claimed the fish. So far as we can ascertain, by a subsequent treaty, entered into some 250 years ago, the French secured the right of fishing in Newfoundland' waters, and it is under this treaty they are working at present. They have recently, according to the cablegrams, put on the last straw, by adopting the bounty system and erecting places on the Island for curing the fish, and as this is ruining the industry of the Newfoundlanders they have become very warlike in their attitude towards the French.

We confess we sympathise very strongly with the people of Newfoundland, as it appears to us that it 1 is time England put an end to fusty old treaties of this kind when she finds them detrimental to the interests' of her colonists. And here is the point to which we wish to direct' attention. England is at present screaming for federation. She wants all her colonies to federate under one Imperial Parliament, and sink their Parliaments down to the position of Provincial Councils. It will be remembered that we have always opposed this, and it appears to us that in the case of Newfoundland we have a splendid argument against it, England cares nothing. fer her colonies only so far as they are useful to her in the matter of trade. She is evidently taking no step towards righting the wrongs of the Newfoundlanders ; she insists upon putting a clause into the Constitution Bill of "Western Aus-. tralia to admit Chinese, and she will not allow us in these colonies toi adopt any strong measures to protect ourselves from the yellow plague of Chinamen. Even Mr Gladstone himself appears to be furious because we do not like Chinamen. All this is done for the sake of the trade of England, and if we were to place ourselves under the thumb of an Imperial Parliament England would sacrifice our interests to her own. In all this we have a good lesson, and that is: ‘‘ Btay as we are.” It is to our interest to be loyal and true to England, and let us remain so, but never let us place ourselves under the thumb of any power except our own Parliament.