The Akaroa Mail. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume V, Issue 431, 7 September 1880, Page 2

The Akaroa Mail. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7.

THiif'report of the Local Industrial Commission is one of the most important documents laid upon the table of the House daring the lute profitless session. With the evidence and correspondence, it forms a bulky volume of 142 pages. We think a considerable portion of this correspondence might have been omitted without materially lessening the value of the report. Much of it consists of letters from persons engaged or interested in various industries, recommending alterations in the Customs tariff of diverse and often contradictory nature, and entirely from the point of view of the writers' individual interests. On the nature of these recommendations the Commissioners remark :— It will be seen, from the evidence and various communications received by the Commission, that the views of those who deem themselves most directly affected by this question aro singularly contradictory. . . . . The promoters of some local industries ask for protective duties on the particular articles which they produce, whilst other promoters of local industries show that protective duties on those very articles would inevitably crush their hopes of Buccess. It is impossible, however, to disguise the fact, which is indeed, frankly admitted in some instances, that those who make those representations are actuated more by the natural desire to widen the proportions and increase the profits of their occupations than by any other consideration. The Commission are aware that a large and vexed question ot policy, closely affecting the revenue, and extending to all branches of the public administration, is involved in this part of thoir subjnet. With that question of policy they do not consider it their duty to deal. {

From the concluding remarks of this paragraph we gather that the Commissioners endeavor to steer clear of expressing an opinion on the varied question of Free Trade or Protection. It is not difficult, however, to gather from the general tone of these remarks that they incline to what are called—erroneously we consider—Free Trade doctrines. Under the head of Agricultural Products, the industry to which the Commissioners call attention" is the cultivation of tobacco. On this head they say : — Tho most important agricultural industry which has been brought under the notice of the Commission is undoubtedly tho cultivation of tobacco for manufacturing purposes. The evidence establishes the. fact that a quanlit} , of tobacco, equal in quality to the finest American, can be grown in New Zealand and there is no reason why the whole of the tobacco consumed in the colony should not ultimately be produced and manufactured in it. This industry would afford profitable employment to cottage farmers, and also to women and children nnd would utilize large tracts of lands which at present are either waste or yielding but little.

The report goes on to state, however, that though suitable in other respects the establishment of this industry is directly opposed to the interests of the revenue, and that under the present law it is practically prohibited. The Commissioners are of opinion that if freedom of cultivation were conceded for five or six years, the industry would be fairly established, and the same amount of revenue that is now raised by the Customs duty on imported tobacco could be raised by means of stamps in the locallyproduced article.

With regard to sugar, the report says that the evidence is " meagre, somewhat contradictory, and almost entirely epecu lative," but on the subject of fruit and preserves the Commissioners give forth no uncertain sound. They say : —

Tho preparation of fruits and preserves is an industry for which New Zealand is better adapted than almost any other country in the world, and tho fact that it has been so little engaged in is not easily accounted for, except on the ground that money has been earned so easily in less laborious ways as to deter tho people from turninir their attention to this Taking into consideration, however, the great desirability of. getting this thoroughly domestic:, wholesome, and much-needed food' industry firmly estab-

!i;-lu'.(i. tlic C'jiinni.ssion recommend -tl»t.t arrangements should be mule tor a l ' ■**■'• ing a rebate on sugar usod in tli= preparation of preserved fruits.

We should imagine that the ninsfc rabid Freetrader could hardly object to tills concession, as this 'industry, and lh° one to be noticed farther on, are eminently suitable for the Peninsula, wo think wecannot do better in concluding this brief sketch of a most valuable piper than quoie a portion of what the 'Commissioners have to say on the subject of forestry. On this hea 1 they remark, inter '■ :.; : / '■\ ' ' It seems most inconsistent for elaborate efforts to be made to anticipate private enterprise in fostering , local industries of problematical feasibility, while the one great local industry for which nature has lavishly distributed the material aniongnt all the dsvisions of the colony, the one great local industry which properly is a subject for State control, is all but entirely neglected. The demand for forest products is constant and unlimited, and th>j forest industry is one which,.more speedily almost than any other, peoples ihe district where it flourishes with a settled and thriving population. The wealth to be derived from an economical disposal of thoforestsis literally incalculable. Hitherto it has been wasted to the extent of hundreds of thousands if not millions sterling and waste is growing every day unacoinpanied by any recuperative process whatever. This ought immediately to be arrested by measures being taken for protecting the Crown forests, placing' the cutting of them under regulations, and planting tbe cleared areas with a new growth of useful trees. There appears to be really no difficulty in the way of all this being done. The system of forestry which has been in existence in Southland since the year 1874 answers its purposes very fairly, and not only is self-supporting but brings in a considerable revenueThat system should be extended without any delay to all parts of the colony to which it is applicable.

Space will not allow us to, dwell longer at present on the highly interesting and important questions raised by this report, but we shall return to the subject on a future occasion.