The Temuka Leader SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 1888. AMERICAN WOOL DUTIES.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1691, 28 January 1888, Page 2

The Temuka Leader SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 1888. AMERICAN WOOL DUTIES.

Those who fondly rely on seeing America open her ports to the products of this and other colonies will, we are afraid, be greatly disappointed. It is just six years this month since there were extraordinary efforts put forth, and Commissions appointed, to induce America to allow Australian wool into America free of charge, but they resulted in a failure. The wool growers of America would not tolerate the proposal. We find now that in reply to the Presidential message, the wool growers of America have met and resolved to resist any attempt to lower the duty on wool. The San Francisco News Letter, a paper more or less favorable to the reduction of the wool duties, deals with the subject as follows: —

" Our friends at the antipodes are still deluding themselves with the idea that the United States may make a remission of the wool duties in their favor. If they ,vill persist in nursing the thought after they have been warned of its folly chert is no reason why anybody hereabouts should worry himself about disturbing their equanimity. As a practioal people, however, they ought to divest themselves of delusions and seek only possible ends. There is no more chance of this country abolishing the wool duties than there is of Australia placing an export duty on the same article. The disposition towards maintaining a high protective policy was never mora pronounced in this country than it i» at the present moment. The wool industry is too great and powerful to be successfully assailed from any quarter. Neither of the great political parties would dare to commit itself to any such assault, We are quick, clear, and positive whan the " main chance "is concerned. When the Australians feel themselves in a post' tion to negotiate a reciprocity treaty, agreeing to accept American manufactures at a lower rata of duty than those from other countries, then, and not until then, is there the slightest chance of their child-like-and-bland proposition about our denuding ourselves of Protection for their benefit being seriously entertained,''

Now ought not this be a lesson to the wool growers of this country ? Americans will not allow their wool into American markets, yet they allow American goods to enter New Zealand ports without paying protective duties. It will not. It is impossible to teach New Zealand wool growers anything, and consequently they are falling one after another into the hands of the money-lending corporations. It would be well for them to think over these matters before it is top late,