PROTECTION.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2672, 12 August 1887, Page 2

PROTECTION.

[To the Editor;] _ Sir.—i again ask .your favor for spaco in Daily to express niy .'views on on protection, ifcc, and explain my reason for asking Mr Gardiner to allow himself to represent llio working men, As 1 hoard ho was a road contractor aud bis work in the formation of roads and railways must necessarily niako him welUcqtiaintcd with'the requirements and ways and means of fcho working men proper, who are, I consider, tho back, bona of any now colony, New Zealand especially, ' Ha could express their wants unci sentiments through practical experience, bettor than any editor of a paper, who a great deal depends upon heareay evidence", as his calling kepps him confined to his office, and because lie does not- hold such extreme foolish ideas on protection as oui' candidate, Mv liogg, As Mr Prangnell informed mo at my house on Sunday that Mr Gardiner had pledged himself to support and not stand against Mr Hogs, I must now choose- onoof two necessary ovils, viz,, which squatter to vote for. 1 mformod Mr Prangnoll that I could not support Mi' Hogg on account of his Protection policy, I might here mention that Mv Prangnell is tho first canvasser who asked- mo to vote either one way or tho other. Having had an experience oi 14 yeirs' in the colony as'a journeyman and Master tailor, employing several men, I am positive I havo a better knowledge of the woollen indus'ry and the effect protection would have on it than Mr Hogg, 1 arrived in New Zealand soon after the Mosgie] Factory started and was surprised ' at ths inferior class of tweeds as were then manufactured, a vast .difference to what are made there now. It is an old Baying, experience teaches wisdom, Messrs liallensteiu Bros., of the New Zoaliind " Clothing Factory had recently started in business, aud were the only linn that employed female and unskilled labor in Dnnediii; There were seventy-three journeymen, members of the Tailor's Society, working on hand-mado garments, and only two apprentices in the town, At the present time, I am sorry to say, .there are'only about a dozen first-class men employed there, aiul.no. recognised Journeymen's Trade Society, but about 400 females, boys', and inferior workmen wovkiug up clothing under the " slop ' factory " system in many of the shops that where only hand-msdp. clothing was turned out. What has wrought this change ? I say monopoly and cheap labor. I saw the Oamaru Factory start in the small manner bythe issuing of. a prospectus calling on persons to'take'up shares—which they did. 'lt started with'firstclass machinery and plant, but by. ,tho mismanagement of the directors and manager;'.wi'thiu a short period—about-twelve' months—it- waa : on the verge of bankruptcy, To save

themselves they issued preferentia shares with a guarantee of six or sevei per cent per annum for two years 01 the preferential shares, ■ leaving th< (irst•■ shareholder!!, who were the menu of starting it, with no per cent dividend hut pressed thcip to pay up their culli so ns to keep faith with the preferen tial shareholders, who were chiefly cap Halist?.. Thank's wo.rkjnj manager—the firatorte'.iyns dismisset r^itrecovered evert'bejoud'it&eir/.ex lactations, and ; to-% it standf one. :iol thkbest iti'-New *e'alaiid,' ,While,i ■<?rs recovering, the preferential: &\m holder's'Bought'upitll .the* '.first" share thoy • con! tlj so - 1 but t'tliey. coti Id Use all tlie dividends they coul.il see wer< coming,''loavipg'the real promoters, tc mourn their loss. My opiwori is, tlu Wellington one will meet,.with lar fate.' The Tiinarn oriej where is itl Collapsed, and ita/goods p, glul in the market. What has the Kaiapoi Clothing Factory done. It has rained the best class ol tailoring iii Christchurch by-bringing in female and cheap labor,. and the same curse is fast spreading-over'Wellington, Iu every instance where thin "cheap labor caret has l)ceu introduced It has been the ruin of many'to'umko. a few. Those few are the ones'that inyiow trying their best to get. a protective policj imposed. Now, Sir, aa the.factories in New Zgaland- avo; not iarid' cannol make broad cloths, Venetians, coatiugs, and a dozen "other kind, just plait tweeds only, unless they import special •machinery for each Hue ol goods, and skilled workmmito woii them, us. tweed woavers are [not com petent to weave cloths, etc, nisi dyers, designers, 'finishers, building too are wanted.' Supposing all t-hesi goods wo made hero, is tlio popula tion great enough to consume all tlia is madel No, It will be of no nsto send the surplus into tho Hoini market, where they, can make and sell by ■having.''.cheap labor, at half -tin price it has cost hero to make,, unlesi you' have tli» same cheap labor n them, he price of wool alone ..will no do it. Above all, where is tho inohe; to do it. Is it here? No. Tli'ei you mustborrow.it.. Are not ib greater portion of shareholders o Banks, Factories/Companies, money lenders, veritable Shylocks, who wil have their pound of flesh. Who payi the piper 1 The working man. Now to put on any extra duty to what ii now levied on these goods will be t( practically, close the market againsi them, Youcahnotmakc them here. Thi result would lie a glut of t-weo'ds mad.) up into slop clotnir.g, and take away tin living .of a many struggling tradesmen in a similar position as myself, families to keep and hearing a great portion ol Jther taxes the Colony is laboring under. Fellow electors look to tht man who has shown by hisactions'thal lie will advanco; your'interest- and wages, by uot working on the cheap labor system employing boys instead if men, Are not several supporters ol Protection in this town a very avaricious class of inon,;Uuldiiig up their 'urt'unes every diiy,' paying low rates ol wages. Are not these the men to help f 'oir?:No, rather to take tlie bread from i'ou. Is it Rimutaka Protection that nakes -bread so high' bore. In any ;ownship from Christchurch to the Bluff it does not exceed sixpence per Hb loat, some places fourpence only. Working men, is it reasonable to supwomen'who uphold such ideal) of Protection and monopolies will advance four interests, and wages go more on -ho live and let live principle, not drive ,'obd men away to Freetrado Colonies is cheap labor which means Protection ias done in my line, therefore I feel aire it acts the same in other trades. CheseMrc not toadio ideas I hold myelf above cringing and crawling, especully for the sake of easy got money vrung out of the working men, Thankng you, if you favor mo by printing his long letter, and ending by a quotftiou from Burns:—

" Oh would the power some gift to To see oursel'a as others soe ua; It would from many a blunder free ÜB, And foolish notion." I nm, ifecJ. N, Bruston. [Surely Mv Brimtoii must bo mistaken in asserting that Mr Prnngnell carae to him as a political canvasser on s Sunday 1 We remember hearing Mr Praugnoll conduct Salvation Army Services and consigning Sabbath desecrators to a place that even radicals would desire to -shun,— Ed. W.D.