The Manawatu Standard (PUBLISHED DAILY.) The Oldest Daily Newspaper on the West Coast. SATURDAY NOVEMBER 21, 1885. THE EVILS OF PROTECTION.

Manawatu Standard, Volume X, Issue 1562, 21 November 1885, Page 2

Manawatu Standard (PUBLISHED DAILY.) The Oldest Daily Newspaper on the West Coast. SATURDAY NOVEMBER 21, 1885. THE EVILS OF PROTECTION.

Ix coneetion with thi^ subject, now so prominently under discussion ih Various! parts of of the world, we note some very cogent arguments advanced by' Mr JohW GliWat merly . M.H/R. ; Jb»; ,Wakanui, Canterbury, wjiich are worthy of careful consideration. At the lunclieori of the Agricultural and Pastoral . Association, at : the Ghristchurch Show last week, a gentleman present advocated Protection. His speech was riot well received, however, and m reply, Mr John'Gk i gg« who is ah advanced thinker on questions of political economy, denounced Protection m no rqeasured terms. He very completely undermined Mr OiiLlvier's argument that m order to avoid competition with other countries we ought to adopt Protection to such an extent as to create a market for our own produce within our own' boundaries." He "showed that it would be simply an impossibility to dispose of the produce of a ; virgin county like this, to our own population; and he* protested against , any system which would tend to' discourage or limit production. *• As. to fostering industries^Vjie said, ** which would levy duty upon the most industrious—for that was the only possible way m which they could be fostered — the idea was chimerical, and a baseless vision, and every producer should scorn the I very idea. It could riot be the 1 interest of any one present to foster industries which would compel them, as producers, to pay 25. per cent, mojre' i for the very things which they want^ cd. Such a corse was untenable, unjust and unwise, and could not be maintained by any right principles of political economy. The sooner producers were prepared to fight the battle, and the idea was swept away, the better. The gauntlet had been thrown down, and, as producers, the shouldy be prepared to | take up the glove and fight the mat- { te£ out. If they "were toy have the slightest idea of their real position, they should not endeavor to live uporf cacti other. TKey should endeavour to produce all that they could, m xmJer. 'to ;■ receive gold ;in | exchange for iheir produce, and be- j come weakhy as a united commun- 1 ity. M This is pretty straight speaking, remarks the Wellington Evening Press: but the fact is, it merely expresses m forcible language the sen- ' timents of the whole rural and co'minercial population of the colony. Protection means death to the great staple producing industries, — the industries which alone produce com- ; motlities for which, grtlA can be got m. exchange from other countries. The Christen urch Show, where notwithstanding the hard times, 17,Q00 people gathered to see an exhibition of the products of those industries, it m itself the strongest argument that could be adduced against Protection, and m favour of the frdest of, Free Trade. The two industries! represented there, are worth all !the other industries m the colony—except the mining— .ten times over. New Zealand is essentially an agricultural, pastoral and mining country* and long may it remain so.