The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR P.M. Resurrexi. THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 1885.

Thames Star, Volume XVI, Issue 5129, 25 June 1885, Page 2

The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR P.M. Resurrexi. THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 1885.

Although there appears to exist no absolute necessity for it, there is every probability of the battle Freetrade v. Pro-, tection being fought out, or, at least, the gauge being thrown down, during the current session of Parliament. The fariff proposed in the recently delivered Financial Statement has aroused to arms all those opposed to the imposition of duties of any sort, shape, or description—those who, as a rule, place themselves as staunch followers under the banner of " Freetrade." It would, we fear, somewhat puzzle many of the would-be disciples of the doctrine—as expressed—to define what genuine " Freetrade " means ; in fact, it might perplex them to circumscribe its limits, and draw the line separating it from " Protection," when all the surrounding circumstances of a colony's commerce, and the policies of other countries interchanging with it, are taken into consideration. It is one of the most natural of sequences that any attempt to place a duty, however light, on imports of any description, should, in certain quarters, meet with a firm and obstinate resistance. It cannot be forgotten that there are many whose chief interests are •oncerned in imported goods, and it must be remembered that a large number of this portion of the colonial community is by no means powerless when it wishes to bring influences to bear in the direction of conserving its own interests, even at the expense of those of the people at large ; this is by means unnatural. To the general body of the people, however, it should be made clearly manifest that Customs duties must be levied, not only for revenue purposes, but for the benefit of those struggling industries in the colony, which being encouraged in their early life, gradually grow, and strengthen the place of their existence, daily giving in one shape or another sustenance to those who form our commonwealth. The primary necessity of levying duties may perhaps be put down to its forming the chief factor in a revenue necessary for good government, but from another point of view—and. one of great importance—it must also be looked at. Much older countries have their industries firmly established; have, in many instances superior natural advantages in the matter of a supply of raw material, cheap labor, large consumption, and a variety of other adjuncts to successful manufacturing. 80 great, in fact, are many of their advantages that they can, at will, swamp any unprotected market with their products. This colony, quite young—it may be said in its swaddling clothes, as regards manufactures—can hardly compete even within its own limits with those established factories, without some Legislative aid in the direction of Customs duties. There is reason at once on the face of levying a tax on the article imported, if the* colony can it. It may be said that the consumer has to suffer, through having to^bear the increased cost of the article, but this idea has over and over again been shown to be an erroneous one, and although much lime and space might be taken up in producing many illustrations which could be brought to bear in showing the fallacy of such a theory ; it will suffice to remind opponents of duties levied, of one or two of them. We may very justly suppose that if an article of manufacture is taxed, its purchasing price will be correspondingly increased, and this increase falls upon the consumer or purchaser—this is so ; but, if this article and many others can be manufactured or produced in the colony, and the firm establishment of their manufacture or production can be forwarded by " clapping " a reasonable duty on it or them, it may be maintained that it is perfectly legitimate to do so, and it is easy to give a reason for saying so. In the very great majority of cases—nearly all local production or manufacture, or both combined, mean employment of both labor and capital in our own colony ; it causes the circulation of the latter, and its frequent " turning over " with the concomitant advantages; and furnishes all the benefits adjunctory to the fall employment of the people; the general wealth is increased, and the public is enabled to pay slightly advanced prices for those things producable in the colony. It may be remarked that these slightly advanced prices as a rule are only of temporary existence; as, so soon as an industry is found to be a paying one, competition in connection with it is immediately rife, and prices neceiiarily reduced. The subject pf Protection y. Free Trade i| too large

to attempt to deal with in one article, nor do we deem it necessary or expedient to enter into it. The mere fact of certain duties, mild fo a degree, being levied on goods of general consumption, and with fair discrimination, hardly warrants the term " protective " being applied to them. From the recent utterances of the Premier there is every reason to beliere that some of the proposals made will be modified, but it is to be hoped that those articles which the colony is capable of producing, with a little assistance, will not be ruthlessly slaughtered for want of a little fostering under the tender care of a Governmental hand, owing to any scare arising from a fear of an onslaught being made by those who may be designated I ultra Freetraders.