AUSTRALASIA

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10526, 13 January 1912, Page 5

AUSTRALASIA

CABLE NEWS

(United Press Association — By Electric Telegraph — Copyright.)

OVERTURES TO NEW ZEALAND A PROPOSED FtTJERATION. (Received Last NigM, 10.30 o'clock.) HOBART, January 12. At the Labour Conference, the Hon A. Fisher's motion declared that ihe was- being impressed with the belief that the interests, welfare and safety of the "Commonwealth and New Zealand were mutually bound up in each other, and it was extremely desirable that closer political, industrial and commercial' relations should be established between the two countries. He recommended' the Commonwealth Government to immediately opea negotiations with the New Zealand Government, on the lines of tjhe resolution. Mr Fisher, in moving the motion, declared that the Dominion would undoubtedly favxiur the' federation of the two peoples, who both..recognised-that, +.Wfate of one'would be the fate- of. the other, if there ever happened to come a conflict with greater peoples more powerful than themselves. , It was Ibecoming the Labour Party to take a lead in opening negotiations with iNew (Zealand. | The Hon). Mr McGowen, in seconding, the motion, said that Australia (had to deplore the fact that New .Zealand was out of the Federation, *iVhien they realised that the Dominion Jed them all in the early days in democratic and progressive legislation, and it was not now altered. But they were rather formidable opponents i» certain directions. The wisdom of being with the rest of AustralasiVVas admitted, believed in from every standpoint.' ;It was not only in. the interests of Australia, but in the interests of Australasia, that New Zealand aaid the rest of the islands in the Pacific should be a11ied.,...1ied.,...-