The Western Australian Historical Society The Federation Campaign 5 INCORPORATED After listening to the paper* prepared by the late Sir John Kirwan, I said that it was a valuable contribution and JOURNAL AND PROCEEDINGS should be plac~d on the permanent records of the Society. At the same time I expressed the opinion that there was VOL. IV. 1951 Part III. another side of the campaign and that Sir John Kirwan's paper did not do full justice to Forrest's endeavours in the The Society does not hold itself responsible tor statements made Interests of Western Australia. Since it is my purpose to or opinions expressed by authors oj the papers remedy this defect, I want it to be understood that I was associat~d pUblished in this Journal. with J ohn Kirwan on the "Kalgoorlie Miner" in the closmg months of 1895. Then was established a warm friendship that was never to the time of his death even te~porarily disturbed by differences of political opinion. The chief of these arose in connection wth the federation cam­ THE FEDERATION CAMPAIGN paign. A Paper prepared by Sir HAL COLEBATCH, C.M.G., and read My chief at the time of the campaign, Archibald ~ost to the W.A. Historical Society on March 30, 1951. Sanderson,. was one ?f the scholarly, courageous, and accurately mformed journalists Western Australia has had. Today, after fifty ~ears of federation, not one of the argu­ In a paper presented to the Historical Society the first ments he usee! against our then entry into federation can essential is that the facts set out should bear the authorita­ ive hall-mark of exact knowledge. For this reason I deem it be proved to have been fallacious, whilst few of the advant­ ages ~l~imed by the advocates of immediate entry have advisable, by way of introduction, to indicate my personal materialised, It should be understood that Sanderson's atti­ qualifications for the task. tud~ ~as. not against federation, but against Western Aus­ I am the last survivor of the original literary staff of tralia I~ Its then st~ge. of development accepting the terms the "Morning Herald" newspaper, first published in Perth set 0l7t III the Constitution, When confronted with the many on January 1, 1896, and of which I afterwards became secunty clauses he always contended that no words in a editor. Throughout the federal campaign I was assistant written co?stitution co~~d protect a State of small voting leader writer to the late Archibald Sanderson, who in later power against the political influences of States of much years was a member of the Legislative Council in this State. larger J?op'!lation-a contention that subsequent events have I reported most of the parliamentary debates as well as amply justified, If there were a place in history for a jour­ nearly all the important public meetings held throughout the nalist whose sound advice was rejected it is Archibald State on the federal issue. I was privileged to enjoy the Sanderson who should occupy it. confidence of the Premier, Sir John (afterwards Lord) At the three conventions, each of the States had ten Forrest, and the members of his Government. I have forti­ representatives. At the second and third conferences it was fied my memory by exhaustive reference to the newspapers found necessary to replace certain of the West Australian of the time now filed in the Public Library of Western delegates, but the following were the fourteen men who Australia; the librarian at Parliament House (Mr. L. attended one or more of the conferences: The Premier, Sir Hawley) has been good enough to supply me with the John Forrest; the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, Sir official records. I have perused the reports of the conven­ J a.m~s George Lee Steere; George Leake, M.L.A.; the Com­ tions held in Sydney, Adelaide and Melbourne, at which mISSIOner of Railways, F. H. Piesse, M.L.A.; John Win­ the Constitution was drawn up, as well as the exhaustive throp (afterwards Sir Winthrop) Hackett, M.L.e.; W. T. annotated commentary published by Quick and Garran in Loton, M.L.e.; Walter (afterwards Sir Walter) Hartwell 1901. * Published in W.A. Historical Soc. Journal, Vol. 4, Part 2, 1950. 6 The Western Australian Historical Society The Federation Campaign 7 James, M.L.A.; Albert Young Hassell, M.L.A.; Robert The Committee examined some forty witnesses. Many Frederick Sholl, M.L.A.; John Howard Taylor, M.L.e.; of the firms that sent spokesmen are operating in the city Henry Briggs, M.L.e.; Frederick Thomas Crowder, today, but only one of the witnesses is still with us-the M.L.e.; Andrew Harriot Henning, M.L.e.; and Harry veteran Alfred Sandover. The witnesses were opposed for Withall Venn, M.L.e. All of these have long since passed a variety of reasons to Western Australia entering the away, the last to go being myoid friend of Broken Hill federation at the then stage of its development and under days, Andrew Henning. the conditions set out in the Constitution. From the Gov­ SELECT COMMITTEE ON CONSTITUTION BILL ernment's point of view it was urged that the handing over of Customs duties to the Commonwealth would involve the The West Australian campaign started with the submis­ colony in a loss of revenue to the extent of £300,000 per sion of the Constitution Bill to the Legislative Assembly in annum--an enormous sum in those days and one that July, 1899. On the 18th of that mOfolth Premier Fo~rest could not be readily replaced from other resources. At all moved that the Bill be referred to a J oint Select Committee the conventions it had been recognised that Western Aus­ of seven members from each house. The debate extended tralia was the one colony that would be called upon to make over three days and there was some opposition on the part substantial sacrifices without any direct gain. By way of of goldfields members, who wished the Bill to be submitted compensation Section 95 was inserted in the Constitution. to a referendum forthwith. Some argued that its reference This section permitted Western Australia to impose duties to a Select Committee was intended to delay matters so as of Customs on two conditions: that they should in no case to prevent Western Australia entering the Commonwealth be higher than the duties then existing and that they should as an original State. Finally the Premier's motion was be reduced by twenty per cent. each year, disappearing carried by 22 votes to 14. It was accepted by the Legislative altogether at the end of five years. Forrest contended Council without division, and the date appointed for the throughout that the concession was entirely inadequate and submission of the Committee's report was Tuesday, Sep­ that the necessity to reduce the duties by one-fifth each year tember 5, 1899. The following members were selected by would make orderly budgeting impossible. His contention ballot to form the Committee: from the Legislative As­ was supported by Treasury officials and other witnesses sembly: Premier Forrest and Messrs. George, Higham, before the Joint Select Committee. Illingworth, Leake, Morgans and Vosper; from the Legis­ lative Council: the Colonial Secretary the Hon. G. Randall During the brief period of responsible Government and the Hons. F. T. Crowder, J. W. (afterwards Sir Win­ commencing in 1890 the colony had made great strides due throp) Hackett, A. B. Kitson, W. T. Loton, A. P. Matheson to the discoveries of gold and the progressive development and F. M. Stone. There was then no division into political policy of the Forrest administration. The population had parties as we know them today, but the Committee was re­ increased from 46,290 to 179,706, whilst the number of fac­ presentative of all branches of opinion, whilst each section tories had grown from 175 to 632 with upwards of 11,000 of the population, metropolitan, country and goldfields, was employees. It was contended on behalf of these manufac­ about equally balanced. The Committee completed its labours turing establishments that they required a further period of almost within the time allotted, its report being- presented protection against the well-established secondary industries on the 19th September. In its efforts to submit the Bill to on the eastern seaboard that had been built up under a long an impartial investigation the Committee issued special in­ period of protective tariffs and Government subsidies. vitations to the supporters of an immediate referendum to Only a few paragraphs from the Select Committee attend and give evidence, but with one accord they declined report need be quoted here, but they are sufficient to indicate on the ground that they regarded the Select Committee as the character of the conclusions and it is important to note a political expedient to cause delay and to prevent the colony that though there were wide differences of opinion on certain entering the federation as an original State. Amongst those points the final report was unanimous. The Committee so declining was John Kirwan. expressed regret that the advocates of immediate entry The Federation Campaign 9 8 The Western Australian Historical Society Secretary of State for the Colonies, Joseph Chamberlain. It into federation had not seen their way to submit eVI­ was also approved by Mr. George Leake, the President of dence and said that had they been guided entirely by the State Federal League, but it was opposed with, I think, the evidence they would have been compelled to report unnecessary violence by the goldfields' section.