THE PELORUS GUARDIAN TUESDAY, JUNE 10, 1890. A Possible Result.

Pelorus Guardian and Miners' Advocate., Volume 1, Issue 39, 10 June 1890, Page 2

THE PELORUS GUARDIAN TUESDAY, JUNE 10, 1890. A Possible Result.

It is quite possible that the result of the present revolution going on in the relations between labour and capital may result in an entire change of thought on questions of political economy, and we are rather surprised that freetrade journals especially have not discussed the matter from the probable stand-point of equality of labour. Without any desire do express any decided opinion either one way or the other, we cannot refrain from pointing out there is a very good prospect of the strong feeling which has for years manifested itself as between Freetraders and Protectionists becoming less and less as time goes on until the two parties will only be remembered as a matter of history. As a further explanation of this we believe that there has been a rise of 5 or 10 per cent, on all iron work in consequence of the higher wages given owing to the labour agitation, and we presume there are nuny other items of import affected as well as iron. For the sake of argument we will say that it is 10 per cent., and. that we now have a protective or revenue duty of 25 per cent, this rise therefore makes a 85 per cent, protective duty. Now, the most enthusiastic Protectionist would at once admit the 10 per cent, rise in price being deducted from the import duty as the protection would still remain the same. This is only an example of how the equalisation of labour throughout the world will surely pat an end to the necessity of protective duties. When prices were different in every country, skilled labour much greater in one than another, the hours of labour not being the same, the younger countries practically having no skilled labour or manufactories, and every circumstance or condition being entirely different, it is not to be wondered at that those countries which paid high wages for short hours, or laboured under some other disability, took measures to protect themselves, or, to use the American term, acted on the defensive, as against those which had every advantage to manufacture goods at low prices. Now that there is a probability of the price of labour, as well as the hours of labour throughout the civilised world being equalised, the necessity for acting on the defensive is reduced to the lowest possible degree. Assuming that this will ha the result, the question is opened out as to what other means will be adopted to raise the necessary revenue to carry on the Government of the country. There is a strong feeling manifesting itself in this and other colonies that the time has arrived when there should be a change in the incidence of taxation, and therefore the opportunity will soon present itself for politicians to think the matter out, and consider what would be the best means to adopt under the altered circumstances. Of course there are many who desire to have the single-tax brought into force, and the unearned increment divided among the people, and not allowed to be pocketed by any single individual who has done nothing to create it. One thing is quite certain, we will have to find the requisite amount of money to pay for the government of the country and interest on borrowed money. We know well enough that any attempt to tax the large estates, especially a graduated tax, would be opposed to the utmost by all the monied influence in the country. Then, again, if there is no necessity for taxing the products of other countries to prevent them from replacing the locally produced article, why should it be continued ? Bo the question is, whaji tax

will produce a sufficient sum for the purposes above named and be the least hurtful to our national progress ? This is a matter which requires thinking out by all who take an active part in the government of the country, because there is no shutting our eyes to the fact that a great revolution is taking place, not in one country alone, but throughout the civilised world, and we will have to so alter our conduct as to suit the new order of things. There is also another phase of this question which may materially alter our calculations—namely, that by the reduction in the number of hours. Supposing, again, for argument’s sake, that the hours of three million people are reduced from twelve to eight hours, it means that there will be required over another million people to turn out the same amount of production. If this number is not to be obtained there may be a diminution in production, and consequently less competition in forcing sales. Taken altogether, it is a problem that is well worth thinking over and working out in a more elaborate manner than we are in a position to do for want of time and space.