WORTH CONSIDERATION.

North Otago Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8168, 27 April 1895, Page 1

WORTH CONSIDERATION.

£The Rev. B. N. White, prebidenb of tho Mornington branch of the Freetrada League, delivered an address before tho Mutual Improvement Society ab Mount Elisa, "Victoiia. He said that Protection was based on iho preposterous ideas thac thosys'om kept money in tho country and that it raised tho wnges of tho working classes. Tho absurd theory that wo. got gold in return tor our exports had beon exploded again and again, and the necessity for an absolutely free exchango of products was being recognised. Foe over thirty years Protection in this littlo colony had gone on increasing until soma otthoduiios wero proh.buive, and tho absurd and unjust border duties lud hampered intercolonial trade to such an extent, and so irritated "he Rivorina men, that foderation had been retarded. One fact should be borne in mind by tha manual laborers, and that was that oub of every hundro 1 workers in tho colony only 7 wer cent, wero employed in pr >- tec ed industries ; therefore the reßt of tho hundred had to pay dearly for everything'hey used to support these seven. It had bten proved that industries flourished much better under Fieetrade m New South W.»ies than they did in this colony. As a matter of tact in thti country it would pay us fur better to pension off for the rest of their live^ nil those engaged in protected manufactures. By bringing the Customs duties down to a revenue-producing basis, tho trade of iho port would increase, tho business of the merchants would expand m every direction, and ihe consumer, who after all was the one to be most considered, would be relieved of a gro.t wei^hi of unjust taxation both on lood and clothing. JCntt lecturer ooncluded by quo ing John Brigh 'a opinion of protection. " Promotion has upon it a taint of the great wrong of slnvety, It dooi i.ot •teal Uio labourer, bu a ateuls ht« Übour." H» wna proud to 'dvootte a gr.ftf omit »n the rankA o( whoso tighter* win iuch (liuitrioui namco m Cob4en, Bdihl, ftfU •nftAfcntllmUh