Mr Vogel and the Gold-fields.

Cromwell Argus, Volume I, Issue 40, 17 August 1870, Page 7

Mr Vogel and the Gold-fields.

(Wdtbtijlun Advei'tuer. J

Ever since the day when he was, by one of those extraordinary flukes wham sometimes happen to men like him, chosen by the electors of the Otago Bold-fields, after he had been ignominiously rejected by tlie Waikouaiti constituency, dir Vogel hast consistently refused to recognise the interests of those who elected him. ills con atituonts have been to him nothing more than a stepping-stone to place and power ; and having made effectual use of them in this capacity, he Juts taken no further notice of them. Pur the sake of affording a sweet morsel of protection to the agriculturists of Utago and Canterbury, he iia" poses a heavy tax upon ail the articles of necessary use to the agriculturists of the colony. Because the farmers of Otago and Canterbury will persist in growing wheat at a loss, every honest hard-working miner is to be compelled to pay an increased price for his bread. Because the aforesaid farmers will persist in producing badly-cured hams and bacon, which will not sell, the miner living in some outlying wilderness in the ranges is to pay twenty-five per cant, more for his rasher. Because the agriculturists are unable to utilise their hay and straw, every packer bn the goldfields is to pay half as much more for the keep of his horses. Because some few persons desire to manufacture blankets in the colony, the unfortunate digger is to pay five shillings more for ills pair of blankets. Because our meat-preservers and our fruitgrowers have not sufficient enterprise or skill to produce potted meats or jams which people in the colony will eat, those whoso sustenance consists largely of these articles are to bo taxed in order to give an artificial stimulant to native industry. And all these blessings are from the hands of—heaven save the mark !—the honorable member for the Gold-fields. Purely the House will never consent to confirm the late iniquitous new tariff. Can anything be more utterly absurd, than whilst crying out at one moment for population, the colony is to drive it out the next. The new tariff charges can have no other effect than to give a very serious blow to the mining industry of the colony. The miners were heavily enough taxed as it was, but this latest addition to their burdens will have the effect of driving them out of the country. (Jan the colony afford to see any further prostration of its raining industry ] Can it afford to reduce the productiveness of its guldtiehls revenues? Audi for what are these changes proposed i Simply to bolster up one particular class, which least of all others requires artificial stimulants ! Protection to the corn-grow-ers, when they already produce more than the local markets can absorb, and find it profitable even to export their crops I Protection to meat-preservers, who cun make it pay to send their articles to London, but who have never yet attempted to compute with the foreign production in the colonial market!