The Temuka Leader. THURSDAY, JANUARY 18, 1883. THE LINSEED INDUSTRY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1056, 18 January 1883, Page 2

The Temuka Leader. THURSDAY, JANUARY 18, 1883. THE LINSEED INDUSTRY.

At the recent meeting at which Pernianant Directors of the Temuka Linseed Oil, Cake, and Fibre Company were elected, the Broker stated that 760 shares had been takeu up, and deposits paid on them, and that there were 370 shares promised, on which no deposits had been paid. The position of *'■<• Company, therefore, is this : It has 7uo representing a capital of £3BOO certain, and there are 370 shaves, representing £1250, promised, which they may get, but on which they cannot rely. It is believed that after the bountiful harvest, which is just being saved, it will be very easy to dispose of more shares, and to get those who have made promises to fulfil them. We sincerely trust this surmise will prove true. The Flax Company is just in the same position that the Dairy Company was. They have enough to wa'raDt them in floating the Company, and to carry on business on a limited scule, but not sufficient to go fully into the industry. This is exactly what crippled the Butter and Cheese Company. The factory would have been built and in full working order by this time only that the Directors had not sufficient money to start with. While wo feel confident thac tho Linseed Industry is bound to succeed in the end, we> are afraid that its progress will be retarded for want of capital. Let farmers reflect on the opening there is in this colony for such an industry. At the present time it is almost impossible 10 get binding twine, We know farmers who after trying Timaru and Temuka had a difficulty iu getting it in Christehurch. In fact, we are credibly informed that there is room for 100 tons of twine in the colony now. Will fanners open their eyes to the fact that this is imported at immense cost, and that it can be manufactured cheaper and better in Temuka ? If so, let them put their hands in their pockets and take the balance of the shares, and let them have the credit of starting the first New Zealand factory of the kind in Temuka. So far as we can learn there there has been at least as many, if not more, shares sold in this district as in Christehurch, and if the people here only go a little deeper into their pockets thoy will have their factory started first. The people of Christehurch at first contemplated making this district a branch place in which there would only be <t scutching mill, but the rate things are goiDg on it is more likely that this place will be the head centre of the in dustry. While urging our farmers to go a little farther, we congratulate them on what they have done with but little aid from the towns, and we sincerely truethat the day is not far distant when they will acknowledge that tiie purchase of shares in local industries is the most profitable investment in which they have ever put their money.

Protectionist Victoria is to be thoroughly

beaten in the nee for prosperity. But we find from a statement made at a meeting of the ' Protection and political reform League,' held in Sydney, tliat N.S. Wales has been sailing under false colors There are duties upon doors, sashes and shutters, sawn and planed boards, biscuits maizena, rope and about twenty other articles, all of which are successfully manufactured in consequence of the duty at present imposed. It was also said that had a recent attempt to remoye those duties been successful the League knsw of one firm that would have beeu ruined after expending from £15,000 to £20,000 in promoting'one branch of industry. At the same meeting the Secretary was instructed to aid financially members of tli3 League who were candidates for Parliament at the general election. We have always held that Free-trade is a barrier to (he developement of the resources of a now colony especially when there are other countries which impose protection duty. It appears to us the height of absurdity lo allow American goods to come into this colony almost free of charge, while we have to pay heavy duty for wool or any other commodity we send to the American markets. The statement made at the meeting referred to abovo shows plainly that Free-trade is nonsense' All the articles on which New South Wales places a duty are manufactured successfully in that colony, because of the duty imposed on the imported goods, and if these goods were allowed to come free the factories in which similar articles are made would have to shut up. Let us come nearer home, There is about 15 or 16 per cent duty on woollen goods imported into Now Zealand, and we ask our readers to consider what the effect of removing that duty would be. The effect would be simply to shut up the Kaiapoi, Mosgiel, and other factories, and crush out all hopes of ever again seeing institutions of this kind established in this colony. We ask our readers which would be the greater disaster to the colony. Would it not be better for us to see factories star'inj, up in our midst, in which the people would be employed, and in which our children would find employment, than to have a few shillings less to pay for our clothing. We think the advantage «s altogether in favor of protection—that is of such articles as can be produced in the colony—and we feel convinced that any common sense man will agree with us. We are tired of seeing the prosperity of New South Walos pointed out as the result of Free Trade, and Victoria as an example of protection. This Is absolute nonsense. The Cause cf Victoria's backword state is not to be attributed to ils protection policy. What happened in Victoria is this : The manhood suffrage franchise put the radical element into power, and these radicals went straight for smashing up monopolies. Of comae this went against the grain of the moneyed class, who did all in (heir power to avenge th-3 taking away of then privileges. They withdrew their money tr'om circulation they did not employ labor, and they did everything else they could to bring misery into the colony for no other purpose than that they wanted to cow down the radical element and make it subseivent to them. In fact, although no blood was spilled, Victoria underwent a sort of a civil war, and of course this could not fail to have a bad effect on its trade and commerce. New South Wales on the other hand was during those yearn governed by men who took no action in breaking up rotten monopolies. They allowed things to go on as they were, and as it is a colony with immense resources the result was prosperity. The efiects of both policies are now beginning to show themselves. Victoria, after her recovery from the effects of party strife is going ahead. No colony ever made such progress as it did during the first six mouths of 1832. New South Wales i«s at a stand still if not going backwords, and the result is that a very influential society is gaining ground there whose objects are protection aud political reform. Time will tell which of the two colonics will b© most successful. Victoria has gone in for smashing up monopolies and protection ; New South Wales has allowed things go on as they were, j and we venture to think that Victoria will have the best of it in the long run.

ADULTERATING LIQUORS. At Wellington, a tew days ago, Kuigge, licensee of the Brunswick Hotel, pleaded not guilty to an information charging him with a breach of the 191st section of the Licensing Act by adulterating two gallons of beer with sulphuric acid. The first witness called was Wm. Baker, who deposed that he resided with his wife on board the hn'k ' T. B. Taylor.' He visited the defendant's house on the 23rd of December, and after partaking of a glass of beer, the taste of which did not appear to be peculiar, lie requested the accused to give him two gallons of liquor. The defendant informed him that he had no kegs, but would place the beer in a jar, a course which the witness agreed to. The liquor was placed in a large jar, and witness took it aboard the vessel. On the following morning he and his j wife partook of some of the beer, and he became quite ill. The same aftiruooa j

he returned to the Brunswick Hotel, and informed the accused that the ale was not good, requesting him to taste it. Kniggo declined to do so, but offered to give him some better liquor, which the witness refused to take, and information was then given to the police. The Bench held the charge proved, and fined the defendant £lO and coßts. The Chairman said he and his colleagues were not of opinion that the offence had been wilfully committed, but that a breach of the Act had occurred, and that the accused must be punished and must take care that he did not poison people. The costs amounted to £1 18s. Evidently there are persons of the ancient lady type administering law in other places as well as in Temuka, The Bench was of opinion that it was not done wilfully, and yet they fined him £lO and costs—that is they fined the man because some substance deleterious to health happened to get into his beer against his will. If the man was not guilty he ought not have been fined ; but our opinion is that he was, and that he ought to have been punished as rigorously as the law allowed.