THE FALLACY OF PROTECTION.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 29, 29 October 1907, Page 3

THE FALLACY OF PROTECTION.

Sir,—At a time when not onlv the. Oil Country but all the British Dominions arc battling with the tariff, \vc- would' do well to ask. if there is really, any thing in tlhi policy of Protection or .tariffs for revenue, i'nero can bo no doubt about the object of a community being'the samo as the o'jeet, of. the individual, i.e., to get the prea - Sst result for the least work expended. It is also a fact that tho more minute tho division of labour and the moro.co-oporatioii the greater tho production will bo fci a give ■ expenditure of labour. Countries; and communities, like, individuals ;,arc adapted to different, industries and callings, and to sa j nothing of tho cost of Protection there must ■bo a total loss in diverting a country's ii,. dustries ..from thoir natural course. ' Noiv, vvhilo all this is true in,.tho aggregate, it still remains to. be proved that one indi Vidunl country, is .'a losor.by high protective tariffs. We arc told that if. wo tax a certain article and keep-it out, we omploy ourselves instead of the .-.stranger in \ anotlur land. . ■ IYo also keep the money in the country as well as the. article in. question. It is, this apparent reason which has led ,tho colonies on the present line of taxation. In the first place wo do not send anv mono > T away when we import.. It is all. dono bv book-keeping. Indeed, money is but a system of b.ool;-kccpmg pure 'and simple. .' IF we destroy our import trade, wo to tho same extent, dostroy.-our export-trade in the samo act, and as for keeping work iii-thj country,, the simple fact is that wo do not, want work for the sake of the work but onlV as a moans to an end, an end which can ofto.i be secured more easily.by producing something else for what wo want. TWessciitii! .difference between a primitive and civilised community in their methods of production is uio division of labour in the civilised community, and anything in the natufo of interference with that specialisation of effort is a blow at the principle of civilisation', 't is lamentable to find : self-styled Labour politicians so hazy, on this question.. .They-arc frightened of the tariff question because t-hijv do not understand the A B Cof it. The real Labour candidate is the one who stands for froedom of production and exchange,■ arid' not shackles and interference.'—l am, etc.,' ~■...'. . E. STEVENSON-. Wellington, Octoban 26. . '. . '