The Temuka Leader SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 1884. THE INDUSTRIAL EXHIBITION.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1268, 22 November 1884, Page 2

The Temuka Leader SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 1884. THE INDUSTRIAL EXHIBITION.

One of those magnificent ideas with which Sir Julius Vogel astonished not only the natives but the public at large is likely to be taken up. Iu his financial statement he said that in order to promote local industries the liovernment would give its assistance towards the establishment of annual exhibitions of colonial products, and added that the first exhibition would take place in Wellington in 1885, about the same time as the session of Parliament would be held. For this purpose ±.IOOO was placed upon thb Estimates, and is now available. Naturally enough, the idea has met with the approval of the people of Wellington. If they do not gain in one way they will in another, and, no doubt fully alive to this, they have appointed a deputation, which has had an interview with Sir Julius, who has enuuciated the Government's intentions with regard to the matter. Sir Julius Vogel lays great emphasis on the inadequacy of the sum appropriated to carry out the exhibition. He repeats several times that t-be sum of £IOOO is too small, and that it would not cover the whole cost. The Government proposed to have an inexpensive exhibition of a colonial character, and while he was prepared to admit that £IOOO would not cover the whole cost, they must not lose sight of the fact that there would be receipts for space, admission, rights to sell refreshments, and from other sources, so that the total cost to the country iu the end should not be very large. 'With regard to the question of imported articles, he had already 6aid it was the intention of Government to make the Exhibition thoroughly colonial, and to deal with industries which could be carried out here. The exhibition, it was hoped, would show the colony the present condition of the industrial development within the colony, and succeeding exhibitions would show what improvements had been made in the various manufactures. Prom this we may infer that the Government contemplate supplementing the £IOOO already appropriated by still further sums in order to defray the cost of the exhibition, and besides this they will carry goods free of charge. So long as the cost of these exhibitions were kept within reasonable limits we should not object to them, but there is such uncertainty about Sir Julius Vogel's utterances, that no one can feel sure as to the amount he intends expending. His language implies that if he had his way sufficient money would have been appropriated for that purpose, but what sum would be cient he leaves people to imagine. There have been several industrial exhibitions already held in this colony without one penny of assistance from the Government ; they have been successful, and they answered the purpose just as well as these which Sir Julius Vogel is trying to pamper up with Government assistance. Under these circumstances we see no reason why £IOOO would not be sufficient, nor do we admit that in the present state of the colony it would be worth while to spend more on it. The ostensible object for which these exhibitions are to be held is to stimulate the development of our industrial resources. There is ao doubt but that they will do some good in that direction as regards industries that can compete with foreign goods, but here they must stop. If a man «vere to exhibit a piece of cloth in every shop window from Auckland to the Bluff, it would not do him one bit of good so long as his next door neighbor could show an imported article equally as good in quality and much cheaper. In this instance nothing but a protective duty could, under the circumstances, do any good, as it is impossible to develop an industry which does not pay. The question then arises, Which is the best: to tax the people, for the purpose of advertising industries which are,and can 'he maiije, % success ? or to impose more duty on'imported gpoas ? The imposition of a protective: duty 'florid have fha

effect of developing every industry—' exhibitions can foster only such as are already paying. In our opinion it does not matter to people how they are eased of their money so long as they have to , part with it, but it matters a great deal to them what use is made of it. It is all the same to them to pay for these exhibitions, as to have the same amount to pay in the shape of u protective duty on imported goods ; but when the latter would increase the population and the value of property, and widen the field of labor so as to givs employment to all, there can be no doubt but it would be better if that course were adopted. However, it is useless to expect things to be done properly. Sir Julius Vogel bad evidently in his mind the imposition of a protective duty at first, but he found that would not meet with the approval of the "majority and consequently has resorted to the exhibition means for promoting industries. It is better than the bonus system, but that is all that can be said for it. The only possible means of fully developing our resources is by imposing a protective duty on imported goodß.