THE NEW TARIFF.

Grey River Argus, Volume IX, Issue 703, 21 July 1870, Page 2

THE NEW TARIFF.

A public meeting was held in Gilmer's Hall on Tuesday evening, for the purpose of taking into consideration the recent alterations in the tariff. The attendance was not nearly bo numerous as the importance of the occasion demanded. . •:.'.

J. Khooub, Esq., Mayor, took the chair, and explained that the object of the meeting was to co-operate with the residents in Hokitika in petitioning the Assembly against the alterations in the tariff, which bore so heavily upon the mining population. Mr Woolcock moved the first resolution as follows :— " That this meeting is of opinion that the financial proposals of the New Zealand Government, asenuniciated by the ColoniaLTreasurer, will be highly injurious -"to. the interests of Westland, inasmuch as , the population are large producers, of gold, which is subjected to a heavy impost when exported, and that any increase of duty upon the necessaries of life, . as proposed iv the new scheme of tariff, would press unfairly upon all classes resident in this part of the Middle Island." He did not think it necessary to cuter very fully into the subject, as the resolution spoke for itself, still he would notice a few points. The first was an expression of opinion on the part of that meeting that the financial policy of the present Government would press heavily on the working classes generally, and on all classes resident in Westland in particular. {Hear, hear.) Whatever might be said against labor and working-men, yet it was an axiom that labor was the true source of all wealth ; and, however much of a "down" the Government might have on laborers, still ; theworkuig-ineu in this country, were tjhe producers of its wealth. (Applause.) It was in the interest of the; State to, protect the interests of labor and facilitate the action of the laboring classes ; but the financial policy of the present Government would impose taxes upon the laboring classes, and release the wealthy men from paying their fair share of the taxation of the country. He was m favor of carrying on pnblic works by borrowed money, and the Government scheme of immigration, so long as it could be proved that every laborer could produce more than he.consumed, thus leaving a clear profit to the State. But the present tariff could only have originated in the brain of a land speculator, because its object appeared to be simply to replenish the pockets of the land proprietors at the public expense. Even the hard-worJiing farmer wonld be a sufferer..; for he would have to pay a higher rate for his land, whether he leased or purchased it, ; , and all. the profits woVild go into the •• pockets of ,the large landed' proprietors of i the colony. (Hear, hear.).. He" >asked if ■■ it would not be more rational and just, and more in harmony with the spirit of tie times, and with the : actions 'of intelligent men, instead of imposing taxed which are sure to fall heavily on the bone and sinew of the country, to repeal taxation upon the necessaries of life, and throw the burden of taxation upon those classes for whose benefit the taxes were imposed ? (Hear, hear.) They should not quietly stand this kind of thing. The reins of government were in reality in the hands of the people, and it. was for the people to .-. ■";-.•.■ . . '' '.■• .••.;' '.'i.'.'a. i '

say how and where money shall be borrowed and spent. If they remained quiet, aud allowed themselves to be burdened by the few, it wag their own fault, and they had no just reason to complain. (Applause.) He concluded by moving the resolution.

Mr Nichol seconded the motion. He considered that the tariff was a direct attack upon the West "Coast. This Colony was one of the most heavily taxed in the world, and so long as the people on this coast were simply taxed asthe.rjest of the Colony they had no particular object in grumbling. There ivas nfo dou^t that the present Ministry looked upon the West Coast aa fair game for a source of revenue. Here we were a hive of bees, and contributed to the revenue more in proportion than any other portion of New Zealand, but unfortunately we were scarcely recognised in the representation of the country, aud the consequence was the present attack on our. : revenues. (Hear, hear.) Free trade or protection had yery little to do with the introduction of this scheme into the Assembly. The several items consumed by . the digging population were specially taxed, and the residents on the West Coast ought to me up agaiust the imposition of this iniquitous tariff. (Applause.) They had already to pay a fair share to the revenue of the Colony, but they did not receive a fair share of the expenditure of the revenue. They had been misgoverned hitherto, for the West Coast had contributed between, two and three millions of revenue, and had received scarcely any expenditure in return, and still the Government had the "cheek" to introduce a tariff like this iritb the House, to further mulct the gold-diggers of the West Coast out of their fair share of the revenue. . :

The resolution was then put, and carried unanimously.

Mr David Girdwood nioved^-" That this meeting do cordially co-operate with j the meeting recently held at Hokitika, and pledges itself to support the prayer of the petition drawn up for transmission to the Assembly , against alteration in the tariff." He considered the tariff a perfect [farce. For Mr Yogel to suppose that \ people vvould.accept his tariff as^ perfect, | was simply absurd, becausean import had been levied upon every article that wa3 consumed on the West Coast. 1 ' With the House it was simply a matter ; of revenue, and he believed that during the next twelve months the present tariff would not prove favorable to the Government. The greatest benefit would be derived, by the landholders arid those who tried to rule the country, but he hoped it would now. be shown that this .class did not really rule the, country. (Applause.) The imposition of protection duties:. would simply be followed by the other Colonies in placing a protective duty upon New Zealand grain. At present Melbourne was the market for this item of export, and their protective duty of four 'pence perbiishelwould be increased to eightpence, which would have effect of smashing up every farmer in the country. Once more, the whole tariff was a farce. To show that Mi* Yogel was one of the most vaccilatiug men in the. Colunies, he would read the following extract from a pamphlet upon intercolonial free-trader and recipro- < city, recently published in the Australian Colonies. ?' As to New Zealand,' we may feel assured that, although separated from us.bytlie broad ocean,' she has' no desire, but would be grieved, to be cut of from •commercial union with the other Colonies; she has no wish to be left 6ut in the cold. The contrary is the fact, New Zealand is anxious to be otte Of us. Mr Stafford, the late Premier, is a firm friend of this good cause, and .when. in office was an active worker in this direction, and complained to me that South Australia was exceedingly slow in responding to the communications of his Government. The present Premier (Mr Fox) is also favorable ; Mr Yogel (the Treasurer) is unquestionably so. Aa a proof of this I niay refer to the leader of the Southern Gross on the remarks 1 had the opportunity of making in my address t6 the* Auckland Chamber of Commerce, Mr Yogel bfiing the proprietor of that journal. From this leader I give the following quotation :—' Our opinion always has been that the Australian group of Colonies might produce within themselves almost every commodity needed for home consumption, and likewise might compete successfully with American and European nations in the market of the world by-ox-porting surplus produce ; but this result will never be attained without free intercolonial trade. Victoria, New South Wales, and Smith Australia should consider New 5 Zealand as much a domestic maricet for their natural products as their own towns and settlements ; and in like manner New Zealand should consider each one of the sister Colonies in the light of a home market. When our intercolonial relations are placed on this footing, but not till then, we' may hope to have uninterrupted prosperity in these Colonies.'" The whole financial scheme of the Government was simply, an attempt to make the West Coast pay heavily, but by taking action some remedy might, yet be found, and therefore he had great pleasure in moving the motion. (Applause.) Mr W. Glenn seconded the motion, which was put and carried unanimously. The usual vote of thanks to the Chair terminatedthe proceedings.