THE Manawatu Times. WEDNESDAY, NOV. 5, 1879. THE MINISTERIAL POLICY.

Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 89, 5 November 1879, Page 2

THE Manawatu Times.

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 5, 1879. THE MINISTERIAL POLICY.

" Wo:-(X; :.rc things, and a drop of ink falling like" dew qpon a thought, produces that -which makes thousua.:-,, perhaps millions think."

So long as the Ministerial party were "m a minority, and. a. No, Uo.nfitlcuee motion ha,d to* be, staved oft, we heard a great deal of; their policy. ;It w.ap "rrged that it would be, unfair to pasß suph a. vote before the Ministry had had an opportunity of de'daring tlieir policy, and that such declarations would be made m a few days." I3ut now that they have a working majority, and the No Confideiiv'e motion has been allowed to lapse, they seem m no hurry to, /put the country m possession of the nVeaso ren they intend to propose. v The Colony is naturally anxious to learn no\v they iutend to deal v^ith the alleged decrease m the revenue,. It is palu.n> ; to %ll that increased taxation will have to be. resorted to, and the people ought to be inf orjped what direction this is to take. The Ministry stand committed to a,n Income Tax, but as to any details of the proposed measure, nothiug has transpired, Tioi* yet what other taxes will be relied upon tfo supplement it. .In oi^r own opinion, the producing power of tlie Colony will have to be stimulated by protective duties, and encouragement afforded to maimfactu and local industries. ' Tifi ere are many, articles, whicn we. now import at great cost * which conld be manufactured m the colony, a,ud there' are many industries, which with proper, fosteAQg, could, "be, turned to profitable account. New Zealand possesses, m a veiy high degree^ na,tural resources which only require judicious fostering for their i development. Why should we epn- ' tiiiue to send out of the Colony immense sums, year -after, year, for > salt",* cpa l , or iron, vvLeu we have, an jajmpst exhaustless. supply of the raw material' in our, midst ? With re.gard to one of these articles^ — coal " — we are glad to learn that the. GoiA'erhHaont; have promised, that m a fhort time none of the imported arHclo j- t all be used on our raiKva,ys. Of cast irop, -lioweyer, we continue to import immeiise, quantities, while t^e iron sand .which clothes a considerable por.tipn of our coast, remains neglected • and ;a.s. for salt, no at"+e,ir!{)f, so far as we are aware of, has yet teen made to produce it, although its production would prove highly remunerative. There are many other articles^ which > cpuld yies a profitable return for capital. Invested, were local industries but properly encouraged The policy of the Government of late years, has, however, heen in" -the opposite direc-, tion, as is proved by the repeal of the duty on imported grain and timber, . The latter will havte to be reimposed. ' Why should we admit 4sei'ican. timber free-to > the 4©^i-

meut of our saw-millers and the comparative stagnation of an important iudustry, while America will not reciprocate our folly by allowing our wool to be landed on her shores duty free? When the Einaupial Statement conies to be made, we fully expect to find that it is proposed to re-impose these duties, aiid to restore otbers — those on necessaries ofjjlife — which have been reduced 'to their former rates.