Protection in Victoria.

Feilding Star, Volume XVI, Issue 281, 1 June 1895, Page 2

Protection in Victoria.

They foster local industry by every means in their power in Victoria, and for that reason Victoria has become the pattern for every colony that is not wedded to Freetrade — there is but one let us promise. The methods of Victoria are nevertheless to be scrutinised very closely. There is a pretty story of one of them in the last Eeview of Eeviews, " The differential duty in favor of the tobacco manufacturer in New South Wales is 2s ' 6d a pound. In Victoria it is 4s 6d. In five years, that is as the astonished Mr Tucker reports, the Victorian Customs lost £700,000 by this method of fostering the tobacco industry, and the tobaccogrowers, almost withotit exception, are Chinamen I" To recoup the Chinamen their immigration poll tax in this way was a kindly thought. But the subject is not exhausted here. The Eeview goes on to say: — " The tobacco factories in Victoria, employ only 669 hands, of whom 157 are females. The total wages expended is only £50,000 per annum whilst the State subsidy is practically £140,000 per annum. The colony, that is, has paid the entire wages-sheet of the manufacturers, and given them a bonus of £90,000 per annum besides, and the price of tobacco in Melbourne is no cheaper than in Sydney." — Times.