The Globe. SATURDAY, MAY 26, 1877

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 911, 26 May 1877, Page 2

The Globe. SATURDAY, MAY 26, 1877

Ebcipbocity, as we stated in yesterday's article, is the favourite substitute for intercolonial federation. The protectionists of 'Victoria are anxious to convince their outside neighbours that it would be beneficial alike to them and Victoria, to enter into reciprocity treaties between the different colonies of the Australasian group. The Melbourne manufacturers, notwithstanding the stringent protective tariff which they have adopted, find the market open to them a very limited one, and they ai'e anxious to extend its area at the expense of others. Of course it is to the interest of Victoria to enter into Mich treaties. But we question its advantage to those colonies which have adopted a sound fiscal policy, and are not attempting to foster DVgiinnatural means industries unsuited to "their circumstances. They would

be admitting free goods on which it might be to their advantage to levy n certain amount of customs duties, and thus the general community would be losers by just the amount of duty thus remitted. Were the tariffs of all ihe colonies equally protective, reciprocity treaties might be of some advantage. It would practically mean intercolonial free trade, and by extending its area lessen the evil effects of protection when applied to small communities. Fortunately, with the exception of Victoria, all the colonies are more and more inclined to amend their tariffs in the direction of free trade, so that there is little necessity for lessening the evils of protection in the manner indicated. Inter-colonial reciprocity was a favourite theory with some of our New Zealand politicians a few years ago. It was proposed to admit the wines and other products of Victoria free, in exchange for our corn and dairy produce. Such a step might have induced a large consumption of the produce of the A'ictorian vineyards, at the cost of the New Zealand tax-payers, but the advantage to our farmers would have been nothing. The price of our corn is, as a rule, regulated by the home market, and, as our production increases year by year, this will be more and more; the case. Had \vc then entered into any such treaty, we would have found that a huge fiscal blunder had been committed. We hope we shall hear no more of such a proposal, the only effect of which would be to give the protected and pampered industries of Victoria the command of the New Zealand market, at the expense of our already burdened tax-payers.

What has become of the white fish entrusted to the care of the Acclimatisation Society by the General Government? Owing to what may be regarded as considerable carelessness the majority of the young fish were lost long ago. But what has been done with the few that remained ? There were enough left, if proper care had been taken of them to stock the whole of New Zealand in course of time. The curator told Mr. Farr that he took them out of the boxes, and threw them into the iishhouse ; he told Mr. Wallace that he placed them in the race running through the garden—meaning, we understand, the race which also runs through the fish house. This was done, it is said, immediately after the discussion in the Council on the loss of the larger portion. But whichever mode of treatment was adopted, — whether they were placed most carefully into the race, or made their exit out of the boxes into the stream in a rather unceremonious manner, —the result to the fish would be exactly the same. They have undoubtedly been destroyed.

By a majority of one, the members of the council of the Acclimatisation Society, at yesterday's meeting, accepted the resignation of the curator. Without .stultifying themselves, the Society could have come to no other decision. A servant who refuses to accept instructions, couched in the mildest terms, does not know what his position is. We have already explained fully the cause of the difference between the Society and Mr. Beck. We have only to add that, in our opinion, the council have acted with the greatest forbearance towards him. However valuable an officer he may have proved himself to be, his refusal to withdraw his resignation left no other course open to the Society but to accept it. Had Sir Cracroft Wilson's resolution been carried, we should have had a body of gentlemen responsible to the public for the acts of the curator, without any real power over that officer. Either the council or the curator must be the head. Notwithstanding their numerous past blunders, we prefer to trust affairs in the hands of the former.