FREE BREAKFAST TABLE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8092, 24 April 1906, Page 3

FREE BREAKFAST TABLE.

The utterances of the Premier on his " free breakfast table " proposals prompted a Daily News representative to have a little talk with a few New Plymouth merchants who may be said to have their fingers on the tariff. Mr M. Fraser, of Messrs Burgess, Eraser and Co., said that " although there can be no question as to the Premier's good intentions, in reducing the cost of living, still the free breakfast table as set forth in his Rangiora address is rather disappointing." "In what way?" questioned the reporter. ! " Only the merchants know the points at which our present Customs Tariff presses heavily upon the wageearner. A reduction of Is 2d per lb on tobacco will help tho smokef, and cost the colony £130,000. But a farthing a pound off sugar would be a real boon to all the working families, men and women, smokers and nonsmokers alike. Tlioro would be no half-measures with this item.

" What about tho local sugar P" "We get practically nothing else," was the reply. All sugar manufactured in the colony should ba free, and so should all fruits, fresh, canned, and dried. Ours is not a fruit producing country. I wonder wl y the Premier has forgotten the little chip in the cradle, sucking 15 per cent, food out of als per cent, bottle. Infants' patent foods are very expensire, and are a burden that lies heavily on people of limited means. All good infant foods should be free and also many necessary household requisites, such as olive oil, extract of malt and many oth:r domestic medicines. Could you suggest any other reductions that could be recommended in preference to the assistance proposed to be granted to the smokers ?" " Easily. It would be better to let useful articles like cream of tartar and carbonate of soda in free than cornflour, especially the cheaper brands, which are of no value as food. We could manufacture cornflour in New Zealand, as we grow maize to perfection. Then to help a few local manufacturers. All the people in the colony have to use pickles, of which I prefer not to speak, and vinegar made from acetic acid, which is positively dangerous to health. Importers ln>v£ always felt," said Mr Fraser, " that our tariff has been framed by men with no practical knowledge of the laws that govern food supplies."

Mr Newton King, whom we struck at a busy moment, said : " Let the Premier take the duties off the necessaries of life, if he wants to make a free breakfast-table. Tobacco's a luxury, and if a man wants to smoke, let him pay for it. There's no great public benefit in taking the tax off tobacco."