The Globe. MONDAY, AUGUST 27, 1877.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 989, 27 August 1877, Page 2

The Globe. MONDAY, AUGUST 27, 1877.

In a former issue Ave referred to one of what our Gloucester street morning contemporary culls the "momentous consequences'.' of the proposed fiscal changes. Another point urged by this organ of.the capatalist is that it raises the question of protection and free trade, and decides in favor of the latter. " There are various industries throughout the colony" our contemporary says " which at present are prosperous. The clothing factories, the boot factories, and others which might be mentioned, employ between them many hundreds of men. It is a grave question whether all these would not be closed by the proposed remission of certain duties and the, hands they employ thrown in distress on the labor market." The anxiety which our contemporary has suddenly displayed for the interest of the airtizan and the laborer is quite refreshing. Unfortunately for him, this newly awakened zeal is too transparent to deceive even the most confiding. AVhen commonplace poverty and distress were brought under the public gaze a Aveek or two ago, the Times thought it his duty to read, some of those unfortunate.men a lecture on the vice of pauperism, but when there is a prospect of capital being made to suffer a very different tone is adopted. On the first occasion the propriety of exporting those men avlio, our contemporary says, " prefer to live on the industry of others" out of the colony altogether was seriously discussed. But, when certain manuAvhich are not self-supporting, but are " living on the industry of others" are threatened, our contemporary suggests a very different course. Get rid of them Y Uh dear no. In this case capital is involved, and so he would have the whole colony contribute so much per head to support those " pauper" industries. (Sir G-. Grey proposes that £359,000 should be taken off the Customs duties, and the difference made up from a tax on property. Such a reduction would make a material saA r ing to the industrial clauses, who are by far the largest consumers of those goods Sir (t. Grey proposes to relieve. sTet his regard for the interests of property is so great that our contemporary Avould rather impose that enormous unnecessary burden on the industrial classes of the colony, than that capital should suffer. He does not even show that this to him dreadful result would follow. But it might. The capital of a score or so of manufacturers " might be endangered, and therefore he calls upon every consumer of dutiable goods to contribute so much each to keep those pampered industries going. Common sense would have surely led him to understand that the interests of a few m ust give Yr'ay to tjiose of the

many. And had there been no ulterior! consequences, he might have seen it in this light. But we are afraid that it is the alternative which frightens him so much. If the Customs' duties are reduced, direct taxation must be resorted to, and so. in the interests of the class he wishes to represent, he tries to secure the sympathy and aid of the working man, in order to save the pockets of the wealthy.

We do not believe that an industry which requires continued assistance from the State in the shape of a projective tariff is worth retaining. Protection enriches the manufacturer at the expense of the general community, and thus impoverishes the many in order tHat a few may grow wealthy. New Zealand has not yet deliberately •■ adopted a protective policy. Our tariff has been framed for revenue purposes alone; and unless a very' decided change conies 'over public opinion, we have a right to conclude that protection is not a policy which we have adopted. If the Lyitelton ' Times wishes the colony to continuo to pay over c£;>00,000 a year to put money in the pockets of a \'ew manufacturers, lie must be prepared to go much further, and- advocate the framing of our tariff so as to encourage other classes of, producers as well. If the woollen manufacturer is to be bolstered up at the expense of ,the taxpayers, there is*no just reason why the farmer should not seek additional protection, or why the common laborer should not receive some aid. At present he is taxed foivthe purpose of r importing labor to . : compete with him; and the moment it is proposed to transfer, that tax to the shoulders of those most benefitted by the, Immigration and Public Works Policy, an attempt is made to raise a number of false,issues, and so secure the co-operation of the people in the endeavour to. continue the .present unjust system.of taxation.