INDUSTRIAL PROTECTION LEAGUE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1890, 11 July 1888, Page 2

INDUSTRIAL PROTECTION LEAGUE.

A mneting to consider the advisableness of forming a branch at ABhburton of the Industrial Protection League of New Zealand, was held at the Aroade Chambers last night. There were about a dozen gentlemen present, and the Mayor presided. The meeting was convened by Mr Eden Oeorge, who had been deputed by the Christchuroh branoh of the League to i inaugurate one here. The Mayor having opened the meeting, Mr George addressed those present, ■ Having alluded to the necessity for the [ people at large to take an intelligent ( interest m politics, he outlined the hißlory of the Indnatrial Protection League. \ Some yearß ago, m Christchurch, was formed the Industrial Association of Can. i terbury, a Society which flourished for some time, and got well m funds. It was i understood that it was a Protection , Society, but unfortunately the name did [ not make that clear, and when the fight r commenced a number of avowed Freei traders joined the Association, and carried ' the day as far as h was concerned. The 1 result, however, was that the Association ' was now m great straits, its prosperity ' being a thing of the past. Several en- ( thusiastic Protectionists left the Society, j and formed a Protection Association, and , the result of their labors was the frimiog } of a tariff, which was sent to their members m the House. Four other Protection , Associations m the colony also cent [ tariffs, ond no two were alike. This fact i made it apparent that an amalgamation of i all the Protection Soc : eties was advisable. ; A conference was held m Wellington, . with the result that all the Societies represented decided to amalgamate under J the title of the Industrial Protection r League oi New Zealand. The speaker ( proceeded to point out the good results . which he claimed would follow this step. '. The fact of there being but 1 one Society, j with numerous branches, would enable members to become cognisant of } industry that might be Btarted, and the 5 whole influence of the Association would ( then be exerted with Government to afford j such protection as might be necessary. E With regard to the new tariff, he would I like to auy that it was not oxactly what • Protectionists dosirod ; th f y looked upon 1 it ai a ha'porth of promotion, and a ' penn'orth of taxation. Protectionists had ' nothing to do with the duty on tea ; thfty were averse to taxing the necessaries of j life. In his opinion, however, the tea , duty was not an unm'xed evil, for if it had not been levied a great burden would have been throwm on local bodies The ! argument of Protectionists was that labor , was capital. A mass of iron worth £1 , was, if manufactured into horse shoes, . worth £2, if made into needles it was i worth jgj.l, into penknives £650, into buttons £0100, and into watch spricgs ! £51,200. Thus wan seen the value imparted by labor to raw material, and why shou'd they not establish msnufao i tures (,ere instead of Hending elsewhere for their goods. If they had manufactures here their children could find profit ible employment at home instead of i having to go to Victoria and other protected countries, as was the case at present. He contrasted the stato of New t-outh Wales with that of Victoria— the former depressed, and its factorits cloßing, the latter m the midst of prosperity and continually advancing. He read extracts to show that it would be to the farmers interest that a poljcyof protection should b,e adopted, as they would then have a homo consumption for their produce! instead of haying to compete m the Hqme market with countries whic^ had rneanß of cheaper production. Although the taris was not altogether what the Protectionists desired, its effect already was that m Chrihtchurch alone over £7000 was to be spent m establishing new industries, which wonld give employment to a num bor of paoplp, and tho number would increase as the businesses expanded, Mr George spoke at co siderable ltngth on the advantages of Protection. : A number of questions ware asked by Meeds' Bhary ? D. H. Brown, and P. Walker. These gentlemen denied thfet any advantages were to be gained by the adoption of a policy of Protection. They adduced faotn to show that wages wore lower, and the cost of living higher m protected countries than m f reetrade ones, Mr Jolly said that the tariff was putting the l&Bp straw on the farmers, who wore burdened nibre thari'lhey c'ctyld b.ear. The only way to restore the prosperity of the country would bo tp tax |ho absentee proprjotprs, iax fho output of gold, and put ia operation a judicious system of land settlement. A running discussion took place between Mr George and the gentlemen previously UMiiod, m regard to the merits or otherwise of protection. In the course of tho conversation Mr H. Zander stated that as an e#ept of the tariff steps were being taktn 1 to b< art a starch factory m qr near Ashburton. 1 <• " • '» ■• '. ■ ■. ■ ' jultimatoly Mr George moved *' That it is ndvißobJo that a fcranoh of tho Industrial Protection League of '"Hoy JSoaland ' bo formed In Ashburton.' 1 Mr James Baker seconded. The voting was r— For the motion f ; against 7. The Mayor gave his casting ' voto m favor of the motion. Votes of thanks to Mr George and to tho brought the meeting to a cloae.