Rangitikei Advocate. WEDNESDAY, NOV. 20, 1907. SECOND EDITION. EDITORIAL NOTES

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXII, Issue 9006, 20 November 1907, Page 2

Rangitikei Advocate. WEDNESDAY, NOV. 20, 1907. SECOND EDITION. EDITORIAL NOTES

MR BALFOUR is a past master in the art of evasive utterance, and hitherto lie has refused to commit himself to the "policy of protection advocated by many of his followers. It has bsen a curious sight to observe the hare-like doublings and twistings of the supposed leader of the Unionist party as he endeavoured to escape, from the pursuing pack of those who nominally accent him as their guide. Tlio other day at Birmingham, the homo of Mr Chamberlain, tlio prophet of the protectiou- | ists, it was expected that the | Unionist leeader would definitely join the ranks of the protectionists, and unite his party in support of thisj-eaetionary policy. Paeans of ,ioy were uttered by the Conservative journals as the result of Mr Balfour's speech, aud it was stated that at last he had declared himself what lias been called a "whole hoggor." It is true that the late Primo Minister talked of the necessity of tariff reform, and of calling together a new conference of Colonial Premiers to consider the question, but when we look for clear information we find that Mr Balfour still maintains his elusive attitude. Our cablegram reports that ho said iu the course of his speech that "Ho declined to go into details. Ho declined to excludo from this alteration of taxation any article of import except raw material. Also, auy tax imposed must not augment the proportion to bo paid by the wokiug man.*' Wo havo hero a definite assurance that raw materials are to remain on the freo list, so Australia and New Zealand will hope in vain for preference on wool. The question of taxation on food, which is tlio point of vital importance to the colonies and to the British working man, is passed over with the cryptic utterance that "auy tax imposed must not augment the proportion paid by the working man." How, under these circumstances, the colonies are to enjoy a preferential tariff on such articles as butter and meat we may leave Mr Balfour to explain in further and possibly inoro lucid speeches.

THOUGH most people in the Dominion are unwilling to soo.au increase in tho number of Chinese, thero is do vcasou why iu clealiug with them every instinct of fair play should be forgotten. Tho Government measure which recently passed through the House provides that iu future no Chinese should bo registered as proprietors of factories. Put in plain language, this means that no uew Chinese laundries may be established. The injustice of such a provision is obvious, as it would prevent men already iu the country from earning an honest living, and possibly cause them to become chargeable on tho charitable aid funds, Yet the clause was passed by the House, and ouly when it had readied the Council did the Attorney-General propose an amendment to the effect that the provision should only apply to new immigrants. Even in this form there are obvious objections to restricting the activity of men who have paid a poll lax of £IOO ami in accordance with the now regulations are capable of reading English. Still, in these days we must bo satisfied with even partia.l concessions to the demands of justice iu dealing with, the yellow race.

The scheme put forward by Sir William Lyne as a complement ro the new tariff proposals provides that in casos where manufacturers do not pay a scale of wages approved by the Arbitration Court an excise duty shall bo paid equal to half the tariff on imports of a like nature to the articles produced. Curiously enough the first effect of this measure lias been to close the Sunshine Harvester Works, as tho", Court has decided that the wagos paid there are below the required standard. The proprietor rather than pay greater wages has closed the works, and live hundred employees are out of work. The Sunshiuejfactory was established in order to proauco in Australia machinos to compete with those, sold by the American Harvester Company, and it is an instructive fact that it has been one of tlio first workshops to suffer by the now legislation.