FREETRADE.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1484, 25 March 1886, Page 2

FREETRADE.

Sib,—l am rather sorry you was not in a funny humor when you wrote the leader for your issue of the 18th inst. I like fun better than figures—they are so dry, and besides 1 have read or heart) of a wit somewhere who said there was nothing so fallacious as figures except facts. (1). Our difference of opinions proceeds from our different standpoints. Your sympathies appears to be entirely confined to this colony of New Zealand. (2). It may be a smaller colony. I fail to see how we can improve our condition without embracing broader principles. Apart from all superstition, it is a grand truth that we are many members of one body ; dividing ourselves into sects, colonies, etc., and acting as if our interests clashed is like dismembering the body, and while it continues we must suffer. (3). Wo have no real interests apart. What is best for one is what is best for all. If you would allow yourself to look at Protection from this point of view you would see how narrow, mean, selfish, and senseless it is. (4). I wont follow your extravagant suppostitions

concerning the meaning of the first of what you call my three magic words. You seem to comprehend the meaning of selfreliance fairly well, and on co-operation you are discreetly silent. (5). Gushing is a word often conveniently used in lieu of argument. I pictured nothing but what exists in reality, and, without swearing off drinking alcoholic liquors or the use of any of the thinga.yon enumerate. You meke s bad use of the word boycotting. Protection is a system of boycotting, and you know I have never favored that. I want somebody to tell me why the good things of the world should only be esjoyed by the few, while countless thousands are often in want of bread. (6). Is that not worth a serious thought, At present we are passing through a period of universal commercial depression, less felt in New Zealand than elsewhere. While our unemployed are passing resolutions that they cannot live on less than 5s a day the artisan in other parts would be glad of a, crust to eat. (7). We are all suffering from this depression, and we are ail at our wits’ end to find a cure for it, but there a r e comparatively few who pause to enquire what is the cause. It is not famine, but simply stagnation of trade. The world is overstocked (8) with the things we require. Every land is overflowing with milk and honey, and we are in want. Starving in the midst of plenty. At tea meetings and elsewhere the all absorbing topic is our gloomy outlook. I confess that I can see no reasonable cause for gloom. What is the burden of our complaint! Wo only want more work for the working men (9) and more money for the rest (10). There is no real want of work, but there is not money to pay for it, therefore want of money is our only want, and us money is not an article of consumption its scarcity must be caused by its improper use. In fact the dog in the manger is the cause of all our trouble (11), and we must get that dog out of the manger, and to get out of we must cooperate. Protection sharpens his fangs. Money is very useful for exchange, but when boarded it becomes a curse to society. To take the sting out of that curse is and has been the object of social reform (12) and the aim of social reformers. We recognise that nature makes no distinction between the beggar and the king. We all require for the support of our animal nature food and clothing, and to supply our mental wants wo require nrwspapera, books, etc. (13). All these things, including broadcloth to ? gratify our vanity, and silks and satins and other fineries to make our wives and daughters look pretty, are the productions of labor (14), and my contention is that, those who take a fair sh*re of the world’s: work are entitled to a fair share of tha* f world’s enjoyment's and (hat those who'i

contribute nothing to the common weal have no right to exact anything therefrom. How very little any of us would enjoy if it were not for that best of Meltings —division of labor. Protection would deprive us of that blessing. (15). The beauty of Freetrade is its tendency to extend it. To those who can see no good in anything that does not give immediate relief, 1 say there is no immediate cure for depression except lighter diet. Turn vegetarian, and give nature a chance to rectify your stomach, and you will see the bright side of the picture, and your gloomy looks will pass away. If you confine yourself to a natural diet you will srw naturally.—l am, etc.,

Wm. L. Dttncak. Eakahu Bush, March 20th, 1886.

[Wehave numbered the points in Mr Duncans’s letter to which we have replied ; (1). If Mr Duncan desires to ignore figures and facts there is no use in arguing with him.

(2) Feelings of patriotism, the laws of God, the laws of man, and the laws of nature, all teach us that our own country is the one to whose prosperity we ought to direct our attention. “ Self preaerration is the first law of Nature.” “ Charity begins at home,” etc. (3) What is the meaning of dividing in to sects andcolonies being like dismembering the body, etc ? We giro it up, (4) Looking at Protection irt relation to dismembering the body (whatever that means) it is “ narrow,? mean, selfish and senseless.” If we knew what body is being mutilated we might be able to answer.

(5). Let Mr Duncan explain what he means by the three magic words. Let him give a letter on each of them. Lst him give us a chance of understanding him.

(6). The reason men want bread is because they cannot get work, and the reason they cannot get work is because people in this country prefer giving the work to men in England and America ‘ than to their own neighbors, because they can get goods cheaper. The Protectionists say, “ We will keep out the cheap rubbi-di of other countries, and give more for goods produced by our own fellow-colonists.” The Freetraders say, “ No, we wont. We will buy the cheapest goods we can get.” Who now is the mean man? The Protectionist, who is willing to put a band in hia pocket and pay a fair price for goods made by his own neighbor, or (he miserable creature who calls himself a Freetrader, and who goes sniffing and scenting from pole to pole to find out where he can get them a penny cheaper. The one ia ready to give his neighbors a fair day’s’wage for a fair day’s work, and thus gives them a ehanch of getting bread ; the other does not care if they starve so long as he can save a sixpence in the price of goods. A short time ago we saw rush hats selling in Tomuka for sixpence. Wete the persons who made them properly paid ? They were not; they could' not have been. The manufacturer knew that; hia Freetivido customers did not begrudge him grinding down and starving his employees so long as he could give them cheap goods. Contempt on such meanness I Confusion to such pusillanimity ! The Freetrader would bring the workmen of the whole world into competition with his own neighbors; the Protectienist would not allow other people to compete with his own follow-colonists, but would pay them a reasonable price. We have cheap goods now,' and with them starvation.

(7). Evidently from this Mr Duncan thinks 5s a day too much for » man. That explains his love of Freetrade, for Freetrade means cheap labor.

(8). That cannot be while people «if starving.

(9) Don’t send the work away to England and America from them, but pay them a decent price for doing it here. That will cure that. (10) Don’t send tho money out of the colony for goods made in other countries, but keep it here. The £4,000,000 a year sent out of the colony for goods which could be made here would give £IOO a year to each of 40,000 men. (ID, The asses in the stable are not blameless. Id this colony the dog in the manger is a Freetrader, because ho wants to lower the price of labor. Protection would blunt his fangs, because he would have to pay laborers more moaey to buy bread with. (12). We have been trying to nationalise the money so aa to crush monopoly. If Mr Duncan understood what he is disousaing he would sssist us instead of throwing simpediment in our (13) Too much philosophy. Something common-sense and practical would be more in otir way. (14) In foreign countries. No good to the colony. (15) What nonsense ! I* there a country in the world where there is . such division of labor as America ? la it not the fountain of inventive genius and mechanical skill I (16) So vegetarianism is the panacea for the depression. No doubt that is wfai.t 'Mr Duncan means by self-denial. There Mr Duncan would throw all the butchers in the country out of employment ; ho would ruin the squatter* who live by sheep, and farmer* who drew large incomes front cattle. In the monster poorhonse, which the scheme would create, pig-breoders, pig-jobbers, ohoesemakers, fiehermen, and a large variety of other kinds of laborera would have to find a corner. This is how Mr Duncan would encourage local industry. No, Mr Duncan, we are not going to live on potatoes and cabbage for you. That has been tried in Ireland, and it has proved » failure there. The Irish people don’t like it at all, and they are making every effort to change it. The fact is, as we have already shown Mr Duncan, it would be necessary to change human nature to carry ;out his scheme, and that is not within the region of practical politics. The soft diet on which Mr Duncan lives accounts for the liquid ideas he has on political economy. Wo have told Mr Duncan onr trouble was that about £5,000,060 goes out of this colony every year, and that there is no means to get that except by borrowing it; So so to try to regulate matters we suggested that less should be imported and more exported, for this is the only way to prevent bankruptcy. The way that could be carried out is by increasing the Customs duties. As a means of taking'the'ating out of Protection we sugfisted cheap railways, and this is what Ir Duncan finds fruit with, Vegetarianism is the cure he gives us, —Thb Editor.

TO THE EDITOR.