Manawatu Daily Times The Protective Duties

Manawatu Times, Volume LIII, Issue 6545, 29 February 1928, Page 6

Manawatu Daily Times The Protective Duties

The Auckland Chamber of Commerce, having extracted an admission from the Minister of Customs' that the increase of duties generally means an increase in prices,-proceeds to emphasize its previous protest against his protective policy. It points out that the substantial increase in the duties on wheat and flour, amounting in the case of wheat to an embargo upon importation, not only maintains the high cost of living to those least able to bear such an impost, but also gravely handicaps the production of eggs and bacon, two other articles of consumption it includes among the average family's requirements. Mr. Stewart had offered as an answer to the Chamber’s criticism the fact that he had heard of no case in which the new duties had brought about an increase in the price of bread; but to this the Chamber has the obvious .retort that it was the increased duty that prevented a reduction in price, which still would have left the fanners with a very adequate return for their produce. The logic of the case for the time being appears to rest with the Minister’s critics.

Mr. Holland's Bent

The combined attacks of the Minister of Lands, the Honorable W. H. Triggs, and the Welfare League upon Mr. H. E. Holland in connection with his recent allusions to Samoan affairs have left, the Leader of the Labour Opposition .practically unscathed. Mr. M'Leod is easily the most diplomatic of Mr. Holland’s three critics, but even he would support his indictment by somewhat flimsy material. “ A recent Wellington incident,” he told his audience at Te Awamutu the other night, “will be recalled by all of you. A seaman of the Makura quarrelled with a fellow wage-earner, and with the co-operation of his mates refused to take the ship to sea unless the man was dismissed. That matter being disposed of, the men then refused to go to sea if the man referred to was taken on board as a passenger. While all sane thinking people deplore such a travesty on British justice, Mr, Holland has never publicly denounced, the conduct of the men.” It is conceivable that the Leader of the Opposition is waiting for the facts before launching his denunciation. In any case one wonders what relation there is between the Makura incident and the Samoan troubles.

Party Matters

Party politics still are attracting little attention in Wellington, except from those closely concerned with the affairs of the “ins” and the “ outs,” and if an election were sprung upon the country next week probably Labour alone would be found fully prepared for the trial of strength. The Reformers, of course, are enjoying the advantages of possession, and on the figures of last general election they have a large margin at their command. The Honorable A. D. M’Leod, the Minister of Lands, probably the best platform organizer that has been in the field since the days of Mr. Seddon, is making a preliminary survey of the prospects just now and professes to be satisfied by what he has observed. But there is a feeling abroad that Reform has lost a good deal of ground since its last overwhelming victory in 1925 and that the best it can hope for is that ft will lose no more than half its present majority on its appeal to the constituencies at the end of the year. Labour expects itself to make a greater raid upon the Government than that, and even the scattered forces of Liberalism arc hopeful of improving their position.