PROTECTED INDUSTRIES.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1591, 23 June 1887, Page 3

PROTECTED INDUSTRIES.

One of the features, if not indeed the most remarkable feature of the recent Jubilee demonstrations to the eye of the thoughtful observer was the multitude of children gathered together m every city and town m the colony, and while it was a common remark that it was absolutely wonderful where they all came from, the thought could not but have been present to many minds 11 What are we to do with all these boys and girls — how is employment to be found for such a multitude ?" They cannot all be employed, m agriculture — probably not a tenth of them, and the only prospect of rinding remunerative occupation for these hosts of young people lies m the -development of industries and manufactures. And that development can never be accomplished unless, by a judicious policy of protection, we expand our nascent industries and establish others, until m a word we are able to supply nearly all our own wants with our own manufactures. No country m the world has ever been able to rely on agriculture alone, and it would be worse than folly for New Zealand to attempt to do so inasmuch as she possesses all the natural advantages fitted to enable her to become a great manufacturing country. In this respect, though her area is of course much smalle,r New Zealand may compare very well with America, for we have vast deposits ot coal and iron, nay, of all minerals, and there is no reason why we should not become the great mart of the South Pacific. Great as has been the development of agriculture m America, the development of her manufacturing industry shows much more remarkable results, as will be seen by the following figures. In 1850 the number of terms m the United States was 1,440,073, and their value 3,271,575,426 dol. ; m 1880 the number had advanced to 4,008,907, and the value to 10,197,096,776 dollars. Thus it will be seen that m thirty years the number of agricultural farms had more than doubled and their value increased two and a-half times. But m the same period the annual product of the manufactures of the United States rose ftom 1,019,106,616 dollars to 5,369,579,191 dollars, or five and three-tenths times. Compare the value of agricultural products with those of manufactures at the same date and it will be seen that the advantage is largely on the side of manufactures, the figures being : Agricultural produce, 3,600,000,000; manufactures, as above stated, 5,369,579> I 9 I dollars. Such facts as these speak for themselves, and suggest very forcibly that if New Zealand is to secure for herself a career of progress she will do well to take a leaf out of America's book. But, it may be said, indeed is said, that a policy of protection to manufactures can only be given effect to at the expense of the agricultural community. Let us see what they think about that m America. This is what we find m a very able American publication : " Without a mill or a furnace m this country, or m this State, our farms wculd not produce as much m quantity as they do now, for the inducement to labor would be less, and the value of products would fall off to a very large degree. Burn every mill, shut up every furnace, and yotlr farms would produce no more, and as you would have no market, you would find it hard to sell your product at any price. As population grows, the earth brings forth by culture new crops, vegetables, fruit, and the like, perishable and not capable of transportation, but among the most profitable lo the farmer. Thus farming gives larger profits just m the degree that manufac* hires an established near by." And m another place the same writer goes on to show that it is by no means only the particular industry protected which gains by protection. He says, " You establish a new manufacture under the stimulation of the protective policy. It has set at work masons and carpenters to put up buildings, it has required the rudest laborers to dig cellars and to make mortar and cany the hod. New homes are demanded m the neighborhood, Every building interest has been stimulated. The new homes must be supplied with furniture, with decorations, extending- with improved wages.^ Every mechanical operative has shared m the advantage. The operatives have been withdrawn from the farm, from other industries. The standard of pay has been raised along the whole line. Everybody can live better. The competition with the farmer has been reduced^ while the demand for his products has been augmented. The farmer gets a share, constant and large, of the advantage." He goes on to assert that " the effect of a given duty is to stimulate production m all its , branches, to protect industry m every one of its phases. When you seek to raise a chain of which the links are all connected, you need not fasten your hook to every link. If you grip closely a single link you lift the whole chain." It is evident that protection of manufactures is looked upon m America as benefiting the farmer no less than other classes of the community, and that it is infinitely to the advantage of labor is shown by no less an authority than "Chambers' Journal," which, m the number for January 1884, gives a series of important statistics deserving of notice. These show that, assuming the produce of labor to be represented by one hundred, then m Great Britain fifty-six parts go to the laborer, twentyone to capital, and twenty-three to Government, while m France forty-one parts go to the laborer, thirty-six to i capital, and twenty-three to Government, and m the United States seventytwo parts go to the laborer, twentythree to capital, and five to Government. These are (acts and figures worth pondering, and such as it is not at all easy to get over*