The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. TUESDAY, MARCH 31, 1891. FEDERATION.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume X, Issue 2343, 31 March 1891, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. TUESDAY, MARCH 31, 1891. FEDERATION.

The pause m the public proceedings of the Federation Convention, and the outside utterances of some of the delegates, have led to the consideration of the altered aspect of the Federation question as it affects New Zealand. The principle has been adopted that the future Commonwealth of Australia is to be,as regards tariff", freetrade between the various States and protective against the rest of the World—New Zealand being it is tacitly assumed one of the j latter category. «This has brought home to many of our public men the position into which New Zealand will lapse under these conditions. Our cereals will be excluded from Australia, and under the general protective tariff some industries which have hitherto bsen unsuccessful are certain !to be promoted, and may interfere greatly with our manufactures, especially of woollens, machinery, and implements. The Hon. Mr Ward— who was a spectator of most of the proceedings of the Convention, and had opportunities of becoming acquainted with influential public feeling on the question—has said that it is impossible for New Zealand to hold aloof ; all our liabilities m respect of defence and other obligations sink into nothingness compared with the magnitude of our interests m obtaining free admission for our produce into Australia. Meantime the attitude of Victoria renders it very unlikely that the Constitution Committee, who are now at sea, will be able to evolve a Constitution which will be acceptable to what a Sydney writer terms " the discredited, depressed and financially worm-eaten colony of Victoria." Federation jtvill come, though not to-day, and when it comes New Zealand must either secure a favorable commercial treaty or cast m her lot with her neighbors.