Mr G. Beetham on the Customs and Excise Duties Bill.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2942, 5 July 1888, Page 3

Mr G. Beetham on the Customs and Excise Duties Bill.

Mr Beothain said this was the last ' opportunity tho Freetraders had of protesting against what they considered a pernicious system of legislation, He had alwayß believed that New Zealand's insular position and its accessibility by the Panama Canal would nmkoitono of the first of tho colonies, and he believed it would havo taken such a position. But ho denied that with a population of a little over 000,000 wo could becoinoa largo manufacturing country. Ho combatted tho argument that Victoria's present flourishing condition was duo to Protection. That Colony was tho centre of a large continent, tapped an enormous extent of country, and had produced no immenso quantity of gold. Ho ntti iliutcd ■ the present backward condition of New Zealand to neglect in tho past to get the land settled and to pay propor attention to the immigration «■ of a good class of people Ho pointed out that while in this Colony many Governments had appeared to consider it their duty to keep foreign capital away, other countries had oilored evory facility to the best clnss of settlers, With respect to Nativo lands, our policy had also I been against sottlemont, especially during the last three or four years. Ecferring to education, ho said tho timo would come when tho school ago would havo to be • raised. He pointed to tho Canterbury Agricultural Oollega as capablo of retrenchment, remarking tint every pupil educated cost £4OO a year. After condemning lavish harbor extravagances, Mr JBaetham disclaimei any factious feeling in this matter, and said he was making his list protest against tho Bill in accordance with his honest convictions, He believeU that boforo two years were over tho mistako of what had now been dsno would be seen, though ho would be glad to find that his apprehension was un-founded.-N.Z. Times.