TOWN EDITION. The Daily Telegraph THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 1881.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3228, 3 November 1881, Page 2

TOWN EDITION. The Daily Telegraph THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 1881.

Amongst other industries that the New Zealand Government has succeeded in stifling is that Of the cultivation of tobacco. In the same way as the public estate, in former years, was sacrificed to the exigencies of impoverished provincial exchequers, so has been the manufacture of tobacco for the sake of the revenue. It is true that the " Tobacco Act, 1879," provided for the payment of a bonus under certain terms and conditions to the manufacturer i but to the grower the cultivation of the .plant was rendered almost impossible. In the following year the Local Industry Commi»sion reported most favorably on the culture and manufacture of tobacco, and last session the Customs and Excise Duties Act was passed. This Act, which came into force on October 1, provided that the duty upon tobacco manufactured in the colony from tobacco grown in the colony shall be Is per 10., which duty is to remain in force till 3lst December 1886 unless previously altered by act of the General Assembly, snd no compensation shail be payable to any one engaged in the industry should it be deemed necessary to alter this duty before 1886. The New Zealand Industrial Gazette has an article on the tobacco industry from which we make the following extracts, as the subject is one of interest to country readers. Our contemporary says that Mr Vollbracht, an experienced tobacco grower who came from California two years ago on purpose to take steps for starting a New Zealand tobacco growing company, in bis evidence before the Commission, and in letters which were ordered to be published with the Commissioners' report, stated his conviction that tobacco grown in this colony would be quite able to compete with the best American samples. The impoverished condition of the treasury caused i the Government to hesitate before encouraging an iidustry which, bowser

promising of success, appeared likely to result in a diminution of State revenue. Mr Volibracht'-" efforts were consequently cramped until the appointment of the Colonial Indus'ries and Tariff Commission last sessioo. The evidence which v ;as given before the Commission tended to show that if the duty on tobacco growu ia ]S r ew Zealand were reduced to one shilling it would be sufficient protection to secure the cultivation of the leaf in such quantities as to lead to the f.restfcn of ar- extensive export trade. The aunnal consumption of tobacco in New g Zealand being only about sixty tons, it is clear that it would not necessitate any very wonderful extent ot cultivation to yield a greater amount of duty than had been sacrificed. This view commended itself to Parliament, and the recommendation of the Commission was embodied in the Custome and Excise Duties Act, and passed by a large majority. In the short time that has tince elapsed active steps for initiating ike tobacco industry have been taken. V !\ r ew Ztalaud Tobacco Growing Company was at once formed by Mr YoUbraeht in WelHugton. The object i>f ibis Company is to Biipply farmers and xiiLwre wivh tobacco seed, a supply of ; which from California is on hand, at the saw; time making arrangements for purchasing the leaf when ripe. Already eeed sufficient for sowing 180 acres has been distributed to farmers in Wairarapa, Xelsoo, Wsnganui, Taranaki, and H&wke's Bay, and applications are still c-Mhiag iv. We r.uderetand that the Company have fixed ciightpence per pound a* fne price they are willing to guarantee for tLe leaf.