DEATH. Wairarapa Daily Times. [Established 1874.] SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 1895. THE CUSTOMS TARIFF.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XVI, Issue 4943, 16 February 1895, Page 2

DEATH.

Wairarapa Daily Times. [Established 1874.] SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 1895. THE CUSTOMS TARIFF.

Wararapa Daily Times. terton, Mary Collins, aged 17 yoiii-s, II.LP. Oaniaru papers please copy.

Thkhh arc two Tariff Commissions sitting at the present time, 011 c in Victoria and one in New Zealand, and they appear to be working on different planes. The Victorian Commission seems bent on discovering the anomalies of the Customs duties, and to discover whether protection lias performed the task assigned to it,furthermore, the Press is not excluded. In New Zealand the energies of the Commission arc in the direction ofiinding out new avenues for taxation, Press representatives arc rigidly barred out from the sittings and whatever may be the report of Major Steward and his colleagues we have it on the authority of the Minister of Labour, who is a rabid protectionist, that the reform of the Tariff will be to augment the duties levied with a view of protecting local industries. Mr Beeves in bis speech at Christchureh said " In 11 1883 lie had supported the then 11 Government in giving our local industi'ica such protection as could ' be got from the tariff thou passed. 1 It had not done all that it was ' wanted to, but it was something ; 1 aud lie hoped that one would bo ' passed next session which would do ' a great deal more." The Minister states the matter very clearly hero, and there is not the least doubt that duties will be raised in order that a few industries may be spoonfed, Argument of tlio most conclusive character is wasted upon a Protectionist, the experience of other countries is nothing to him; the fact that protection robs the majority to benefit the minority is of little moment, lie smothers all this witb " Protection keeps the monoy in the Colony and finds work for a limited number of men, women, and children." We may take itfor granted from the unprofitable character of tho balance sheets presented by most of the woollen Manufacturing Companies ifl the Colony) the duty on

woollen goods will be increased. The tariff of 1883 came to the rescue of this industry, woollen mills were erected in various parts of the Colony, goods wore turned on to the market in excess of requirements, keen competition followed, shutting up the smaller mills, and causing a severe loss to shareholders; depression has now stepped in, and a cutthroat competition has considerably weakened the larger factories, and to put them into a dividend paying condition, fresh duties are necessary. The experience of all the other protected industries is very similar. What benefit does the public derive from this. Ave woollen goods locally manufactured cheaper than the imported article!' Is there any comparison between them for texture, design and finish to commend the New Zealand made article to the consumer as against the foreign made goods.

Protectionists conveniently overlook the fact that New Zealand is essentially an agricultural and pastoral 'country. The bulk of our population lias to do with the land, and it is by the sale of the produce of our country that we keep ourselves afloat commercially, No attempt is made to protect our farmers, who have to compete in the open market against all comers, Wool, wheat, tallow, frozen meat has to be sent out of the country, and have to take their chance in the world's market with similar produce from other countries. The wheat of India, where coolie labour is employed at so many pence per day, competes with the wheat of New Zealand, where the labourer receives a higher wage, and where tlio farmer is taxed from the crown of his head to the soles of his feet to yield glory to a few shoddy protection patriots. The unfortunate agriculturalist must sell his produce in the open market, but he is barred from buying in the same market. He must not have the advantages of cheap clothing, cheap boots, cheap machinery, to lit him for the severe competition lie is obliged to face, to expect such advantages is unpatriotic. To be fair in this matter it is only right that some measure of protection should be extended to our sheep farmers and dairy farmers to compensate them for the taxation at home and (he fall in produce prices abroad; but the " social pests" of New Zealand can hope for nothing from the Seddon-cum-Reeves combination. The Tariff Commission hi Victoria lias unearthed a pretty scandal in connection with the sugar refining industry. Since 1887 Victoria has been paying a bonus of £1 per ton on all the sugar relined in the Colony, the amount so paid last year bein" £14,7110. It came out in evidence that (lie Colonial Sugar Refining Company's output averaged 2(1,000 tons, which,of course,earned £26,000 of Government bonus, while the wages sheet of the Company totalled £.'W,OOO for about 800 hands, so that it costs Victoria the tidy sum of £2(1,000 per annum to keep 800 persons employed, while the cost- to the Sugar Company, uf working the factory is only £OOOO per annum. The profits of this giganticnionopoly last year was £07,000, while its accumulated profits reach £411,000. The Colonial Sugar Company has a refinery in Auckland, and New Zealanders pay a sugar tax in order to help this Company.

Sawmim,i:i;s will probably resent the contemplated action of the North County Council, in charging them a license fee, as if they wero the conductors of public houses. The fee is a heavy one, aud will take many by isurprise, but a little consideration tends to show, that there is an equity in the contemplated arrangement. The interests of County and sawinillers are so far identical, that both desire good roads, and a reasonable payment tor the same, is of mutual

advantage. The proposed license fee will not really come out of the pockets of the sawmillers, for undoubtedly it will be collected from the public, by a slight increase in timber rates. If the sawmiller or the public can suggest a fairer and better method of raising the money needed by the County for road purposes, the present, proposal would doubtless be abandoned. It however > remains lo be seen, whether the - public, who virtually will have to I w y the l'ipcr, can devise a more " practicable scheme, than the bold measure now recommended for adoption.