MR BELLHOUSE IN REPLY.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1899, 23 July 1888, Page 2

MR BELLHOUSE IN REPLY.

T;O THE EDITOR. Sib, — In reply to your correspondent, Mr James Koir, 1 may say that,aß secretary of the Christchurch branch of the Industrial Protection League of New Zea land, 1 am always willing to answer any reasonable questions on the eubjeot of Protection whon correspondents si^n their own name 3 I therefore undertake to anßwer thequostions of Mr Keir, 1 Adam Smith, John Stuart Mill, Herbert Spencer, Fawco'.t, and Henry George all condemn Protection m tho rnoßt unqualified language. Do Mr Bellhouse and bis friends think they did not understand what they wroto about 1 Answer — John Stuart Mill aaya ; " Protective duties mny be dofeneble whon they are imposed temporarily (especially m a young and rising nation), m the hope of naturalising a foreign industry, m itself perfectly suitable to the circumstances of the country" Adam Smith sayn : "It must Bometimoa be a matter of deliberation how far it is proper to continue tho freo importation of foreign goodß, when foreign natioDß restrict by high dutio3 the importati( n of our manufactures iuto thoir country." Professor Fawcott says : "No yonng and new country can live without manufactures, and co manufactures can proßpor without thoy are protected Agriculture ond manufactures must go hand m hand."

Does Mr Kejr thinly 'hat such mon as Washington, Andrew Jackson, Thomas Jufferaon, Po f er Ooopor, Daninl Webßter, Presidents Garfield, Grant, and Lincoln, Horace Greeloy, Senators Shor/nan, Bluiue, »nd L'haso, Hon D. Kelly, all of tho United States, Sir Graham Berry, of Victoria, Lord Penzance, of England, Sir J A. Macdonald, and ftir Charles Tupper, of Onada, Prince Biamarck, of Germany, and many of (he greatest Btateanaen t"ie world over produced, did not know wlj.at th f y were writing and speaking about when they adyoqate4 Protection to, the industries and productions of their respective countries ? 2. It ia possible to make a nation rich by tnxing it ? AoßWor— No, Thu Protectionists do not propose to tax tho peop'o of the country they are living ia. They proposs to put a duty on foreign manufactured goorJa Buch as we produce, and tax the foreign manufacturer for making me of our market, instead of taxing our own people.

3' If Protection between different countrios is good, why it is not gopd between different localities of tho Bamo country ? Anflwor — Booiuso each otuntry has its one Customs House, and therefore Fraetrade through i's diiferont loculitios. How could a nation protect itse'f againßt iteelf? One of the obioots of a Customs House i& to protect a nation a industrioa and produclions nguins^ the 'ioduatrlcH and productionß pf a foreign nation. 4. Tfy men wnnj; work for Up own sake or do thpy meiely wanf; to Hyp with bb Iktlo labor and ' other lpoonyenionpo as DOBsible,

Answer— l should advlae Me Kelt to study human nature for his reply. 5, If it Is a oa'arally for the people of any- country to obtain cheap goods from another country, and the cheaper the goods the groater the calamity, how can we exp'reßS tse wrojfohedneso of thoie who mighY obtain' all they wanted for riofhtug Answer. — This queatlon eeems' so un Intelligible to a reasonable th'f dicing man that I do not thfnk it worth while to troublo my brahja to reply, but I would ask Mr Kelr, "How ohoap would he rrqnlro ua to purohaße goods to pay us to remain Idle?" Thankbgyoq for tho cpioe, I am, eio." David Be^QorsH, Hon. Secretary Industrial Protootion League of New Z -aland. P.S.— The objaofc of Protectionist ia to bring about tho making of thinga In New ZaaUnd that the people of New Zialaud require, boo mse they think it dlshouest tooontlnuo the importing of five or six million pounds woit'i of goods which oan and should bo made m the oolony.— D.B.