The Tariff.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLI, Issue 8103, 1 June 1906, Page 2

The Tariff.

Farmers on Its Relorm. They Approve "oi Iteclprocily. (Post Torres}»otnkn|;), PA:HIATIJA; "That the Union strongly ob* jeetu to any increase in the Customs 'farm except for revenue purpose#; that the Union urge* the Government to remove all duties from farm products coming from «uch countries a* meet New Zealand on tho *ame lirbih; that no increased duty be imposed ori imported agricultural implement s." Theao remitu from brancbta in different parts of Wellington province were adopted by the Farmer®' union Confer* enco at P&hiatua on Wednesday aflter a discussion which loft tho mere onlooker with the {nipro»#ion that the conference swung without difficulty from its Freetrade plank to Protection. A delegate from Gladstone was convinced that tho time had arrived for upholding tho Chamberlain reciprocity prop wain, and another delegate expressed tho opinion, altera close perusal of English newspapers, that the preferential movement in England was very dead, aa waa proved at last elections. 4 'l believe that wo should treat others m they treat us, through tho Customs," said one delegate. "So do L H replied, another," so long as you confine that treatment to the British Empire." " By all moans let us givo special tariff treatment to England and her colonies" was yet another argument, and a reply was that an exception should be made j of A««traba. Why? Well Freetrado was right enough if Australia would I only reciprocate, but it wasn't good enough to let her butter and checse come in free whilst she charged threepence tor our butter and nixpence for tho admission of our cheese' "Ah," cried a voice from the other side of the room, "when it touches their pockets they begin to squeak 1" There was a general desire for the free admission of: agricultural machinery. One speaker "complained that the very men who wanted the impost on sucli machinery increased were the very manufacturers who used to bring in American machinery and put a big price upon it. New Zealand manufacturers, said a delegate, made agricultural machinery more suited to her needs than that imported, and local industry .should therefore be encouraged. There was further discussion upon the following batch of remits:, which were all adopted : —

'• That the iron for fencing standards (unpunched) come in free owing to the increasing scarcity of fencing timber; that the Government be urged to exempt potatoes from the Customs duty of 20 per. cent, ad valorem owing to the unfortunate continuance of the potato blight throughout the colony , that the proposed export duty on hides be opposed." Asked why he put the word "Unpnnched" in his motion, the delegate from Tenui replied that- that " was a sop to Labour Unionists," because the iron for the etandards was imported in lengths and was cut and punched in the colony. "If ever there was a time when we should have a duty upon potatoes it was now," said a delegate. " Yet. I believe in this motion. I don't bc-lieve in Protection." " I am surprised," immediately remarked a farmer from tho opposite side of the room. " I always thought the Farmers' Union was a Freetrade body. Yet here we have had a Protectionist discussion."

It was proposed by the Kaituna delegate—"That the duty be taken off all imported timber." The Dannevirke representative urged caution. Timber men in America could nwamp the colony with cheap timber in bulk. And what chance would the local article have then? The representative of the Upper Hutt quoted some returns which showed that the revenue from timber duties last year was £13,000, of which £11,000 came from ironbark. That last brick settled the question. The motion went, to a division, and was lost by 23 votes to 17.