Wairarapa Daily Times. [ESTABLISHED 1878] MONDAY, MAY 30, 1892. COMMERCIAL FEDERATION.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XIII, Issue 4125, 30 May 1892, Page 2

Wairarapa Daily Times. [ESTABLISHED 1878]

MONDAY, MAY 30, 1892. COMMERCIAL FEDERATION.

Being the extended title of me Wairarapa Daily, with which it is IDENTICAL,

After all, men aro best persuaded by an appeal to. their pockets, Sentiment is not nearly so potent a factor in the promotion of a scheme for the publio benefit, the enthusiastic gentlemen imagine -who move thrilling resolutions at public meetings. And perhaps the Anglo-Saxon voter—sprung (as Napoleon ill scathingly told him once) from " a nation of shopkeepers "—is more inclined than anyone else to calculate the pecuniary pros and cons before he throws himself into any movement, even though it be represented to him as ideally right, Thus, at all .events, it has fared hitherto with the effort to bring about the much- talked-of Imperial Federation. The idea is no doubt a glowing one; but we Antipodeans haven't glowed worth a cent, What will it involve in the way of annual cost 1 and, What shall we gain by federating?, are the vexing and sordid questions which have be«n put by the majority of speakers and writers in the Australasian colonies. J3ut this mood of the Colonial mind, while it may have provoked the high toned contempt of dreamers at Home, has done its work, and a good work

too, It has reduced the big question to a much more practioil issue; and in proof of this we find ourselves invited now by the London Committee of the Imperial Federation League to consider some of the details of a suggested commtmal union of the British Empire, based as nearly as possible on Freetmde principles, Something may come of this in time; but there are many lions in the path, and it is only honest to add that they havn hitherto been nourished and cherished by some of the Colonies. There has has been, for instance, a marked inclination to a policy of Protection d splayed in certain quarters, notably m Victoria, and not much less in Ne« Zealand, New South Wales.has beon coneidored the champion of Freolrade, but even New South Wales would seem to be wavering, And it is obvious that views which tend to the protection of local industries are diame, trically ppposed to views which aim. at the abrogation of all favouring clauses ; and the annihilation of Customs duties between the various countries and colonies of our Empire. Nevertheless a stenuous effort jn th e

figljtdjreotion wasmadesometwoyears ago, when tba p.ubjegt ot Iftter-colonial Freetrade was 'seriously djscu.Bs)d,

Inter colonial Reciprocity would, we fancy, bo a better term by which to designate the proposal which was then tinder consideration; for it was not freetr'sde at all, The design, however, was praiseworthy, even if its scope was limited and its chai'a/iter tentative,- That design was to establish a Customs Union between all the

Australasian colonies, with a uniform tariff.

The proposal encountered, unhappily, the fiercest opposition at the hands of producers in Victoria, and it ended in disappointment, after many thoughtful but acrimonious speeches from public men both in Australia and New Zealand, was then at the height of her apparent prosperity ; New Zealand was inolined to be protective with the very oljectiou-

fible object of raising revenue through her Customs tariff. But Victoria is now depressed, and tuay he less disinclined for a fiscal change; while New Zealand jll-jn our opinion—so near a: dissolution of hsr Parliament that it maybe quite possible to before long a majority of representatives wllliug to consider this important subject'ih all ifßbp#rjngß, Nothing, ic is true, can be expected from |)e present M inistry, which contains some avowed A n 4 vigorous Protectionists; but the events of the next lew months will probably bring about a drastic change in the occupants of the Treasury benches. .

Inter-colonial Freetrade, if only wocould agree to try it, is at allevents the proverbial "thinend" j its adoption would do much to pave the way for the larger Imperial plan, As regards this latter, we should not be wise to ; pledge our hearty consent to a proposal of whoso provisions we are almost wholly ignorant. Until the other iky the proposal hud scarcely got beyond the region of fine phrases, but we hail the appearance of something like a businessßiiggesiion at last, in the shape of the resolutioa of the London Committee of the Imperial Federation League to submit the details of a scheme for procuring commercial union between us all. It must not, of course, be forgotten that Canada has. raucb.to say in the matter, and Canada does not seem at this moment to be undivided in the desire to join Biioh a Union, Time alone will develop the force of the argas monts which may be used on behalf of an Imperial Commercial Union; time—though it may be a long time—willvery likely see the Union {tnaccomplished fact; and for our own part wo ieel sure that, when the commercial aspect of Federation shall have been shown to be satisfactory, to all parties, tho sentimental arguments (so to call them) for, a formal federation of British subjects, will obtain a fur readier hearing. Just now, the consummation to be worked for is the elimination of protective principles from the Customs tariff of New Zea - land and Victoria, and we are far from despairing of the early fulfilment of this modest aim.