Rangitikei Advocate. THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 1907. SECOND EDITION. EDITORIAL NOTES

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXII, Issue 8901, 22 August 1907, Page 2

Rangitikei Advocate. THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 1907. SECOND EDITION. EDITORIAL NOTES

THE letter sent by the Customs Expert to tho Department explaining tlie circumstances in connection with his travelling expenses is instructive in several respects. For instance, he indicates that his appointment •was made necessary because the first protective tariff was passed in 1388, so that if there had been no protective tariff the services of an expert would not have been required, and the Treasury would therefore have saved £BOO a year and 30s per day travelling expenses. We do not proposo to discuss tho question of •whether such remuneration should have been paid. Mr Shannon was quite justified in making the best possible bargain in exchange for his services, which were doubtless profitable to the Department, as a taxing machine. It seems to us, however, that in all cases where travelling expenses are allowed the amount per day should be jthe limit which should not be exceeded, . and j that only expenses actually incurred I should be paid. This condition, however, appears to have been absent from Mr Shannon's agreement. Of course, if travelling expenses must be paid under any contract, whether they are actually incurred or not, then an official would be almost justified in leaving the right of collection of them to his heirs. Mr Shannon throws a little light on the shady paths of politics in his reference to the fact that lie had agreed with the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Ballance, to contest the Rangitikei seat, but after consultation with him, accepted the offer of the Premier of the appointment as Customs Export. While do not blame Mr Shannon for '. drawing the allowances, there is certainly blame attachable to those who have had the management of affairs so. long, and who, while preventing the re-prosou-tatives of the people from obtaining information relating to the. public accounts, wero themselves so profoundly ignorant in them. We cauupt agree 'with Mr Shannon, however, in his suggestion that the country lias saved money by the appointment of an expert. As a matter of fact, no value has been brought into tho country by the proceeding, and no value has been created within it. The, only effect has been to ensure that importers paid the proper amount of duty, and, of course, they have collected this from the public, with tho usual additions. It would have been far more profitable to the country as a whole if the protective duties had been abolished, and the salaries and allowances of experts been saved. To the Department, as a, tax-gathering machine, Mr Shannon may be well! worth .the- -Gi-000 .•; .y---;ir and nllov/-, anecs ;k mentions, but it is a strong i commentary on the lolly of protee- : tion that its adoption necessitates the employment of highly 'salaried i exports. I

IT has been suggested that there is a method by which the producers ,wi combat the actions of the Trade, Unions even more effootive y than bT reducing the number oi hands omidoyodorles^ingtheareaundr, cultivation. The originators of the . I evils from which all arc suffering 'are those employed in the aetories in the cities, for whoso < 'protec- , tion" heavy duties are levied. Ine , Plo3 fc effective method of repelling their aggressiveness would be to decline to purchase their products. Iu connection with the Farmers Union an Anti-Trust League rmgh b~ formed, the members ot v>hicn would pledge themselves not to pur-ch-e any article made in a colom.l ttorvsoiMUg as such articles are i'S ulAh duties. Themem;'\voul. pay more for their suprli,, but it would amount to insurance against further spoliation.

THE services of middlemen arc no doubt of benefit provided competiti(Vl jg left free and producers or mv'nricturoi-s s?ofc the full value of t .l,»ir work. Brit there ie always a .suspicion that when middlemen com, hi.;'. Hiidform associations they aro Soing so, not for tho benefit of tht-u----clients, but for their own. At the pre •■■?«. tunc there arc several associations or combines wording in the colony, some of which may have legitimate .objects, Rich as the lemoning of expenses and risk of bad | debts, but others do not confine | themselves to these objects. Wo observe that in soma parts- of the colony associations are being formed of those who buy farmers' produce, and ou these the-'farmers' Union should keep watchful eyes, to see that the produce maintains its full market value.