JULV, I912 



history of the lUonih. 



i,MM s that were vouched for by local benevolent 

 Societies. But it is a great political advertisin,;; 

 scheme. Xevertheless. there is a huge gult lietween 

 Mr. Fi.sher, with huge salary and increasing per- 

 qui>^ite.s and desirv for more, at one end, and the 

 iitedy mother, with her j£^ maternity allowance, at 

 the other. How blind these people lie ! Socialism, 

 as preached by Labour, is a very attractive thing. 

 In practice, it is as sordid as the most objectionable 

 individualism to be found anywhere. 



During the month, Sir Jos<'ph Wind 

 New Zealand visited the Commonwealth, and 

 anJ Australia, spent some time di.soussing with Mr. 

 Fisher the possibilities of closir 

 trade relations f>etween the Dominion and Australia. 

 Mr. Fisher ga\-e expression to the opinion, whicli 

 wf applaud, that he is in favour of free trade be- 

 tween the two countries. There is no reason why 

 there should not be. Conditions are much the same, 

 at any rate they are identical enough to remove any 

 barrier to the freest exchange of commodities. It is 

 an ideal that may be realised, and should Ix; eagerly 

 pursued. Hut after that I\Ir. Fisher launched out on 

 an imaginati\e flight, and talked of the two coimtries 

 l)ec(jming united politically and constitutionally. 

 N'liw. htr«' .Mr. Fisher is entirely away from possi- 

 bilitif-s. There is no more likelihood (if \ew Zea- 

 land becoming one with Australia constitutionally 

 I i.iii I re is of .Soutli Africa or Canada linking U|) 

 uii I I •• ( 'o.Timonw<-alth under one Federal Govern- 

 nit-nt. I ' rmi- thing. Mr. Fisher minimises the 

 import. mil- of Xew Zealand That country is de- 

 veloping as fast along nation lines as Australia is. 

 It has its realisable dreams of national expansion 

 as Au.stralia has. And it ha.s, anrl w^ill have, no in- 

 clination to lose itself in the larger Continent. It is 

 all very well, in theory, to talk of the two countries 

 Ixcoming one. They cannot. The ))owers behind 

 (he cosmic forces saw to that. It placed them too 

 far apart. If .Vew Zealand fulfils her highest des- 

 tinx, she will go along the lines laid ilown for her 

 bv the world forces, and l)ecome an independent 

 jiiople, th«- teacher of the worlil. .Shut out from the 

 immediate influence of other nations, she can carry 

 nut exjierimcnts of v.ci.d and industrial reform as 

 Ml thcr nation in ihf w<irld can do. 



I made my home in New Zealand 

 I'nion |,,r .some years, and I know. To 



Impossible. ti,^. Xew Zealan.l.r, Australia is 

 almost as far away as .America. In- 

 terests are quite diver.se. Distanc<', even in the days 

 of fast-travelling vessels, is an insuperable difiiculty 

 in the w.iy of Im- intercourse. ("r<-ographic.il si-p.ir 

 alifin is fatal to l'"ederal units. The .\ew Zealander 

 is a different |wrson to the Auslr.dian. Climate and 

 c .nfigur.ilion of country make him ih.il. His oul 

 look of thought is different. Hy-and-byc the com- 

 l)lexion of his face will Jie different. The two coun- 



[Mi'lhournc 

 HITCHED TO A STAR. 



' Punch- 



Xso Satan finds some Mischief siiu. for Idle Hands to du. 



(The Iiabour Congress resolves to battle for a. six (6) hour 

 (la.v ami a live clay week. Mr. Fisher sympathises and talks 

 <;f tlie aRitation .is hitchinc the waggon to a star.) 



Mephlsto. : " Splendid, .\ndrew '. Splendid 1 Give me plenty 

 of idle hands and I'll guarantee there'll be lots of mischief 

 doin^. and won't I revel in it! " 



tries .ire so diverse. .\nd then will increase wh.it is 

 i-ven now a|)parent, a difference in temperament. 

 .And why should Xew Zt-aland not fullil her own 

 I beams, especially when they are greater dreams 

 than others' ? If the question were up for discussion 

 1 should oi>|)o.se it. for New Zealand's sake. The 

 Hominion will make a finer nation, working out 

 her own destiny, than she ever could Ik-, li'd to 

 another. 



Ne\iertheless there are many things 

 in which there may be unity of 

 action, with the common end t^f 

 Imueri.il supremacy and est.dilisli- 

 For manv years we have adxix'ated 

 cl<i-.<T unity lietwe<"n the. Commonwealth and the in- 

 lon-sls of the I'aeilic. It has seemed lo us in past 

 years that the Home authorities haxe not U-cn (|uite 

 seizetl with llu- seriousnes,s of the situation. When 

 the Panam.'i Can.il const ruction came on for r»^ally 

 grave consiiler.ition. I wiole, pointing mit the seri 

 ousness of the • situation, and the changing asp. 



I'Dlty nt 



Action. 



ment in view. 



