TARIFF REFORM.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1740, 3 May 1913, Page 10

TARIFF REFORM.

Sir,—Through the medium of your paper I wish to congratulate Mr. M'Lelfan on his outspoken remarks upon Freotrado at a late meeting of tho Wellington Chamber of Commerce. I hope to eco many formers' names in print on this ocoasion, for it is seldom wo get a gentleman to come so boldly to tho front as Mr. M'Lellan has done. It is high time all producing countries saw the fallacy of protection. Might I ask who is tho Ixickbono of New Zealand? Why, certainly tho farmer. Now I will ask who assists tho farmer? If tho town producor is entitled to protection, then why not givo the farmer a bonus on all and sundry ho raises to export to the Motherland? But no, ho lias to compete against the markets of the \torld without protection, and yet at tho same time has to buy all his necessary goods at exorbitant [ prices,, aad pay " higher rato of wage

than ho would lv-cro it not for protection tariff. At tho present timo it is almost impossible to procuro labour in tho country. What I would liko to know is, what does tho farmer gain? All comes from the land, and it is unquestionably tho farmer who has to pay tho lot. Ono of the main planks of our now Govornmont should ho to keep down tho ovor-incrcas-ing- tariff, and by this inovo they would at onco turn tho tide of population from tho oitios to the country. It is moro producers N6ir Zealand is in want of— actual working bees, not mere drones. What does it matter to tho farmor of this country whether his necessary personal and household Roods aro mado here or in England? Not a jot; for almost all that ho produces is governed in prico by tho English market, and it would prov'o a boon to him if his produco wero consumed in England and ho obtained Ills goods at almost English prices. Now up will como tho cry: Who is to mako up tho rovenuo? My answer to this is, just the same man who is paying to-day, i.e. (only he pays it indirectly), the farmer. If the protection tariff wero dono away with there would bo hundreds ond thousands moro producers. Then tho ancient cry would bo raised, but how aro you going to mako farmers of them? Why, let thorn do as our pioneer fathers and mothers did—learn. For numbors of our pioneers were not farmers, but eventually becamo such. Anyono possessed of common sense knows that we cannot rear fanners in towns, but nil know that tho soonor wo stop tho migration from country to town and put tho boot on tho other foot and causo tho migration from town to country, tho sooner wo will produce farmers. It is sturdy farmers that the Dominion is wanting, or, in other words, we want producers from tho 'soil, for it is those and those only who keep tho Dominion on a solid footing. Givo New Zealand moro producers and fewer tewnies and drones, and it will bo 'ono of the round est little places in tho world. Now, Mr. Editor, thanking you in anticipation for your valuable space, and trusting that an abler,pen than mine will como to tho fore and"thereby help tho farmers to get a move on in tho light direction,—l am, etc., F. J. RYDER (Farmer). April 28, 1913.