The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 19,1887. THE DEVELOPMENT OF COLONIAL INDUSTRIES,

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1487, 19 February 1887, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 19,1887. THE DEVELOPMENT OF COLONIAL INDUSTRIES,

The speech m advocacy of Freetrade principles, made m Dunedin the other day by the honorable member for Rangitikei, than whom there is not a more thoroughly honest and honorable politician m the colony, was worthy of the reputation which he has already established for himself as a public speaker; yet we question very much if he succeeded m convincing those of his hearers who do not belong to the Freetrade party that it is not expedient under given circumstances and conditions to afford to nascent industries a certain measure of protection. He quoted the poverty of thousands m New York as a proof of the evil effects of the protective policy of America, but did not appear to see that the abject poverty of thousands m London could quite as logically be quoted as a proof of the evil effects of freetrade. Even bis own riews, founded upon actual personal experience during his residence m the States some years ago, have since been challenged by a writer m the Dunedin Star, who has resided m America more recently than Mr Bruce, and who declares that his experience leads him to hold entirely opposite views. He says : — "I, for one, have been m and through America since he (Mr Bruce) was there, and can testify that he was mistaken. His party spirit has blinded him* The philanthropic appeal he made to the brotherhood of the race was all very well ; but would it not be more brotherly if we tried to be honest and to pay our way ? Is it brotherly to borrow money than we can never pay back under a Freetrade policy? Last year our r stums showed that we sent seven millions of cash out of the country to buy goods, most o*. which we could make for ourselves; while for all our gold, wool, grain, etc., we got five millions back. Put this two millions with the three millions which we send away for interest, and it will show that we are going to the wall with a vengeance. Last year America got for products 700,000,000d01, while she paid out 500,000,000d0l instead. This, with the silver and gold she coined, will show what Protection is doing to increase her wealth." Another writer, taking the Protectionist side, points out that rt is remarkable that Mr Bruce made no reference to Canada, which from being m a languishing state under a policy of freetrade, has sprung into a prosperous and flourishing condition under a policy of protection. The fact is, we think, that while freetrade principles are logically sound if they could only be given universal application, they cease to be so when Frestrade applies only to one or two countries while others adopt a policy of protection. To insist on tht carrying out of strict freetrade principles m a colony like New Zealand, while such conditions obtain, is the height of impolicy, and indeed wholly impracticable. We have, at the present moment, a protective tariff, and the real question to be decided is not whether we should have free ports altogether (we could'nt afford that) but upon what articles our Customs revenue should be raised, and what articles it is expedient to admit free. Protection for protection's sake we do not believe m, but we do think that il is possible so to adjust the tariff as to assist largely m the development of the industries of the Colony. The common sense (not the doctrinaire) view.of the position is most admirably put by the Auckland Evening Bell, m an article m its issue of Saturday last, and we canoot do better than quote the following passages, which almost exactly express our own views upon the question. Our contemporary says:— "We hold that for manufacturing industries — which can only live by being sustained m a rickety existence by shutting out honest competition — to be maintained m life by a protective or prohibitive tariff is immoral and impolitic ; it is contrary to nature and to common tense. 11 But we hold that there are times when, from exceptional circumstances, industries cannot m their infancy stand the rude collision of other and robust

industries which have grown to man hood, and that m such circumstances it is the du'y of wise men to foster and tend the little nursling, m the hope and the expectation that by-and-by it will run alone and bold its own.

11 Strong meat becometh men, but milk is the food of babes ; and while we should give the breast or feeding bottle or Neave's food or other pap to infants, the man of twenty who required pap and coddling to sustain his rickety frame had better be chloroformed out of exisience lest he become the parent of a rickety progeny.

v New Zealand is flung back on itself, and on a self-reliant policy ; and if it does not gird itself for the work it is ! doomed to commercial agony for years 10 come. If it is true to itself, and determines to develope its magnificent resources, it will live to bless the day when loaning became impossible. 11 The colony has two weapons with which it can cut its way to prosperity — the one is settling the people, and especially the laboring classes of the people on the land; the other is developing such industries as will utilice m the colony the products of such rural industry. Mr Ballance is wielding the former instrument as no other Minister has ever done before m New Zealand ; but for that effort to attain success industries must be established to supplement country work, to turn our fruits into jams, our hides into boots, our tallow into soap, our lime into cement, our apples into cider, our beets into sugar, our sands into glass, our cow heels into glue, our linseed into oil, our gherkins into pickles, our tomatoes into sauce, our wool into tweed, and every other product of rural industry into anything that is capable of creating a market for our settlers, employment for our unemployed, and put a tourniquet on the arteries that are pumping out our life blood.

"the colony is draining to death, and m the face of threatened collapse, doctrinaire theories must stand aside, and prompt action take their place. A. doctor may be a teetotaller and believe that stimulants, as a rule, are injurious, and that it is a baleful practice for a maa to live on them, and that a physical constitution so sustained is dangerously rotten ; but as he sees the shadow of death gathering over the brow, and finds the pulse feeble and Almost ceasing, he will not, unless he is an unreasoning fanatic, hesitate to give the teaspoonful of brandy tbat may stimulate the failing strength and decide the struggle between death and life.

" The question of Free Trade and Protection is not involved m the existing necessity for giving a stimulus to peal industry, and the man who, whatever his political theories may be, stands tamely by, and sees the colony being drained to death and threatening collapse, and is restrained by theory from taking prompt steps to stave off death is simply a fool.

■ "It is the duty of every colonist to go vigorously m for the encouragement oi local industry, and if it is necessary that temporary aid should be given by legislation, whether by a protective tariff or even by absolute prohibition, the necessities of the hour claim it and we should call for legislation."

This is an admirable statement of the case, and needs no addition at our bands, and we think the views therein expressed will commend themselves to the acceptance ot the great bulk of our readers— to all m fact who are not prejudiced by preconceived notions and theories and who do not yield their practical common sense judgment m a blind adherence to the shibboleths of an economic party.