The Evening Star SATURDAY, JULY 2, 1870.

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2232, 2 July 1870, Page 2

The Evening Star SATURDAY, JULY 2, 1870.

Wjs have been favored with more pre- . ci»e particulars of the effect of Mr r Vogel’s protective scheme of duties on blankets and mgs than we were in possession of yesterday ; and it places his proposition in a still blacker light. We hardly hope to raise public spirit to oppose the scheino, for unfortunately

a l ,- i.—fr Ife-'■ ■ 1 , "" = ' any speculative nooaeiiiw. atti-arts attention more than which woMU lead'‘to' forcing Governments into courses of action necessary for the advancement of true liberty and prosperity. While even men of intellectual power have been amusing themselves by playing at talking with intelligences or non -intelligences in other states of existence, they have neglected to watch the doings of those to whom is entrusted vast powers fox good or evil in the present world. The public journals have lately teemed with columns of nonsense about Spiritualism. Had one-twentieth part of the attention given to such wild and visionary theories, been devoted to acquiring sound political and economic knowledge, no Treasurer dare to have preposed such a monstrous tariff as Mr Vogel has introduced. There was no necessity for alteration. Heavy as was the taxation befox*e, trade had settled itself in the grooves that fiscal duties had worked out. Nobody except farmers and squatters would have grumbled at things remaining as they were. Merchants had made their calculations based upon payment of certain duties , tradesmen had stocked themselves, ox entered into engagements at certain prices ; and even families had calculated upon certain rates of expenditure upon particular classes of goods. But all this is to be unsettled, and for whom ! There is not even the excuse that it is for the relief of the mass of the people ; for with the exception of a reduction of Is. per cwt. duty on sugar, every other change is calculated either to lay a heavier duty on the laboring classes, or to put money into the pockets of squattei’s and fanners. If it be pretended that Is. per cwt. remitted on sugar is to balance the advance on the lower description of woollen goods, we reply that the pretension, so far as the consumer is concerned, is a sham. It is not half a farthing a pound, and cannot therefore benefit anyone excepting persons like the squatters, who may buy their ration sugars cheaper to that extent ; but to those who, like the inhabitants of towns, buy in smaller quantities, it is not sufficiexxt to enable the grocers to make a reduction of price in their favor. Then bags and woolpacks are to be freed from all duty—by which squattex’s and farmers are to be gainers. Arsenic, spirits of tax*, iron fencing, iron gates, being for the benefit of the squatter.s, Are to come in duty free. Papier xnach6 ware, being for the pleasure of the rich, is to come in free, American enamelled cloth, hair seating, and upholsterers’ springs, beixxg for the xxxost part articles used in manufacturing goods for the xich and well to do, are to come in free. Now let us look oxi the other side. Bacon and hams, being in general use, and largely so on the diggings and by working wen, are charged an extra duty of Id. per lb. j beef and pork, salted, nearly jd. per lb,; cheese, Id. per lb.; biscuits, xxxore than |d. per lb. On potted meats, jams, preserved fish, the duty is doubled ; flour is taxed heavily, Id. per lb. ; oats, we suppose because consumed lai*gely by carriers, draymen, and packers, nearly Id. per lb.; hay, for the same reason no doubt, 10s, a ton, or 10 per cent, on its value; chaff, about 20 per cent.; leather, Id. per lb.; cordage is charged 3s. per cwt. extra—that is, £3 per ton. Now, in looking at these alterations, we cannot help being struck with their inconsistency. Yesterday we drew attention to the additional tax- laid on blankets and rugs for the supposed encouragement of a factory at Nelson, Perhaps we should more justly have said to purchase the support of the Nelson members. We under-estimated the effect it would have on blankets and rugs, for from information supplied us we find the advance per pair must necessarily bo -is. or os. at the least to the consumer. But if it were advisable to encourage a woollen raanufactoxy, why should it not be equally wise to encourage the manufacture of sacking ? If the squatters produce wool, New Zealand produces flux, and although cordage is charged ti heavyduty, goods that arc made of cordage arc admitted duty free Thou workmen’s tools are freed from duty : but the stuff they work upon is taxed ; so that if those duties are operative to any extent, you allow a man tools to work with, but restrict him in the materials he works upon. Wo have not, xxor ever had, axxy doubt that a protective tar iff would pass with all its follies and inconsistencies. In the present instance, if there is axxy shifting of burdens, it is, as it always has been, a covert relief of the rich from taxation, to lay it on the shoulders of the poor. Many of the proposed changes will be ixxopex'ative, because New Zealand produces mox*e of the articles specified in the tariff than can be consumed by its ixxhabitants; and the producers must therefore seek an outside market. But wherever the change produces any effect whatevei*, the tendency is to destroy industries struggling for existexxce, and to lay the burden of taxation upon those who live by labox*. It may not bo acceptable to rich ur poor to

have these warnings*, but if men will not theft* own. true interests nor listen to reason, they must blame themselves if they are impoverished by such taxation.