The Tumeka Leader THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 1889. PROSPERITY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1978, 5 December 1889, Page 2

The Tumeka Leader THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 1889. PROSPERITY.

The Melbourne Argus will, have it that New Zealand is on the high road to prosperity, and that we owe it all to the policy of the present •. Government, It is ne use to doubt | it, we: may as well give in at once: we have been saved by Sir Harry Atkinson from utter ruin and disaster, so it is ’ as well for us to believe it. The Argus tells us now that the Danedm Exhibition signifies that we are on the high road to prosperity, and that we owe it all to the change of policy introduced by Sir Harry Atkinson. We transferred the management of the affairs of the i . colony from the Liberal to the Conservative party, hence sill the joy.; .Now where is the change of policy. Is it in retrenchment? Most undoubtedly it is not. .Retrenchment could not affect us except in the way of taking off some of the burden of taxation. If it had lessened taxation there would be some grounds for all these jubilations. It could then have been said that owing to the burden of taxation having been made lighter, a new spirit had been infused into the people, and they were able now to invest their savings in reproductive industries. That is the only way in which retrenchment could have promoted increased prosperity, but those who claim that the colony has been saved by retrenchment have no such arguments on which to base their calculations. Our taxation has been greatly increased contemporaneously with the much vaunted retrenchment, and consequently it is utter rubbish to talk about having been saved by 1 such a policy. What then has saved 1 us, if saved we have been? We * increased the customs duties tre- j mendously, and in a direction which j

is more or less protective. The Argus is a Freetrade paper. Notwithstanding that Protection has brought unexampled prosperity to Victoria, and that almost every Victorian paper favors it now, the Argus still adheres to the old fallacy of Freetrade, with a tenacity indicative of its stupidity. When Sir Julius Vogel proposed to put on Protective duties in 1884, the Argus and all Freetraders warned us that it would result in ruining the colony. Sir Harry Atkinson put on Protective duties in 1888, and here we find the Argus bearing testimony to the fact that we are on the high road to prosperity. It is evident from this that no one need mind what the Argus says, as its ignorance is far too glaring. What has really improved the tone of trade ; in this colony is better prices and increased production. The prices have greatly improved during the last few years, and besides, the flax industry. has sprung into existence, and is a great source of wealth. Wool is now about fourpence per lb dearer than it was some years ago, and that means that we shall get about £1,500,000 more for wool this year than in the past. Then we presume we shall get the best part of half a, million for flax,’ which was unheard of in the past, besides other articles being now sold at better prices. This is what is rendering the colony more prosperous, and not retrenchment, which did nothing for ustbut drive the best of our colonists out of the country. However, we do not quarrel with the Argus for informing the world that the tide of prosperity has turned in our favor. It will do us a great deal of good. We bad a very bad name, certainly, but at the rate we are going on we shall soon ha regarded as rolling in wealth. This will do us good, no doubt, and it does not matter much whether the Argus understands the true source of our improved position or not.