The Westport Times. THURSDAY, JUNE 30, 1870.

Westport Times, Volume IV, Issue 678, 30 June 1870, Page 2

The Westport Times. THURSDAY, JUNE 30, 1870.

In our present issue we publish the alterations in the Tariff which came in force yesterday. It will be seen that the present Government have considered it advisable to establish a protective policy, in order to foster native industries, and with that view, all articles that New Zealand at present produces are now protected by duties which may be regarded as prohibitory. Upon the following articles, the duties have been increased one hundred per cent: —salted beef and pork, plain biscuits, cheese, potted meats, fish, potted or preserved, dried pickled, or salted; maizena, groats, jams, jellies, marmalade, saddlery und harness, cordage, doors and window sashes, sawn timber, palings, laths and shingles, and posts and rails. Butter formerly subject to a duty of Id per, lb., has been increased to 3d., bacon and ham from Id to l|d ; rice from 2s to 2 s 6d per cwt.; leather, sole excepted, 2d per lb ; blankets and rugs f*.«v«. On -to So for foot , furaituro of wood, from 6d to 9d; soap, from 2s 6d to 3s 6d per cwt; wine, in bottle, from 4s to 5s per gallon. The following articles, formerly exempt from duty, are now levied upon:— grain 15s per ton; flour, meal, and chaff 20s per ton ; hay and straw 10s, and eggs Is per foot. At present, in different parts of the Colony a considerable amount of energy is being directed to the production of articles we have been accustomed to import, and it would appear that the attempts hitherto made have given promise of ultimate success, particularly in the case of certain articles, easy of manufacture, and upon which the charges on similar goods imported from the Home country form a very large percentage on the prime cost. It is precisely these articles which we find have been submitted to an additional duty, and the community generally are taxed in respect to many necessaries, in order to put money into the pockets of the producers. The true policy is to let things alone; to leave them to the competition of an unfettered market; and then if any one in the Colony produces as good and as cheap an article as could be supplied from England, without doubt the native manufactured article would receive the preference. Taking the siugle item of blankets, we have the raw material at hand, which in itself should place manufacturersatasufficient advantage, as saving the freight, interest, exchange, packing, and shipping charges on the wool exported to England and the manufactured article imported thence into the Colony. We certainly do not approve of the attempt to bolster up, in any artificial manner Colonial manufactures ; as it is intended thereby to do an injustice to the consumer, and to divert the industry of the Colony to one channel, when it might be better employed in another direction.