EXTRACTS FROM "HANSARD."

Waikato Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2202, 19 August 1886, Page 2

EXTRACTS FROM "HANSARD."

PUJJLIC ADVANCES ON LAND. Mr Macanorew. — It is no use disguising the fact, or shutting our eyes to it, that unless there ia a considerable advance in the money value of produce, or unless there is ft considerable decrease in the interest oa mortgages on land, there are ft great many of our best settlers, now merely in nominal possession of the land, who will find the utmost difficulty to face the tax-gatherer and make endfl meet. The same reasoning will apply more or loss to those who may ia the future betake themselves to subduing the wilderness, unless they have got ample capital of their own. Mr Kerr. —I do not think there is any man in the country who would like to support the Bill more than I should if it were practical at all. But 1 cannot see how it is possible for the Government to accept a thing like this, when the country at the present time owea sixty or seventy millions tnore. Hon. ft. Stout.— There are daDgers to the State in isbuing paper money on which I do not intend to speak at present, because I intend to deal vwth the Bill from another point ot view. But, if the question were before the House whether the State should issue paper money or not I should say that I think that course had considerable advantages. The main advantage, perhaps, would be that the amount of paper in circulation would be equivalent to a loan of: that amount to the State without interest — a loan from the people to the Government ; and in that respect, and by the lo»s of note*--, perhaps, the State would have some profit. PROTECTION. Hon. Mr Chamberlain.— l think it is proved by the trade returns of this colony that the time has arrived when there should be some protection given to the manufacturing industries ot the colony. 1 think we have evidence before us, looking at the United States and Canada, that the advantage of a protective policy is very great indeed ; for what other countries in the world have progressed so much and so rapidly in a comparatively short space of time as th»United States and Canada ha\e under a policy of protection ? I will quote a circumstance that I saw mentioned the other day in a paper with regard to the advantages of a protective policy. It was stated that, whereas formerly a large export from the cai pet-makers' tiade took place from England to the United States, now there is noexpoit whatever to the United •States, and, on the contrary, the vhlue of the carpets now manufactured in Philadelphia alone is greater than the entiie manufacture of the same industry in the United Kingdom of Great Britain. There is the effect of a protective policy upon one industry. Hon. Mr Bath gate. — Reading in the light of recent events, I am of opinion that the doctrines of Freetrade are hollow, deceptive, and temporary in themselves. The premises are false. The old philosopheis proceeded on the deductive principle : they laid down certain propositions and assumed that they were true, and then they built up the whole superstructure of their philosophy upon these deductions. Their principal ground-work was human selfishness ; but we have learned to know that men are moved by other motives than mere selfishness. Hon. Mr Williamson.— l think that the colonies generally will fiud it necessary, in self protection, that we should adopt this principle. If it were only what is called a fair-trade policy, the position would be different. .Vhen one country can say to another, " You agree to take our goods and Me will agree to take yours," the position would be better than it was at present ; but, when there is no tariff at all, you have nothing to offer as a concession. Hon. Dr. Grace.— ln point of fact, the only advantage we possess in this colony to enable our manufacturers to succeed is the cheapness of food. I maintain, therefore, that we cannot possibly do more in this direction than we have done, and certainly we can do no more than v>c are doing so long as the public works policy is in vogue. The very principle underlying the public works policy seems to be the maintenance of high wages in the country. To a certain extent that may have been justifiable, in so far as it tended to prevent our losing our population ; but so long as the State maintains the current high rate of wages I maintain that manufactures cannot be established in this country as a commercial speculation. Hon. Mr Stevens. — I may mention as a fact, showing how well things are done, that I sent Home last year some Mosgiel cloth to a person in England ; and the tailor, who, I suppose, knew something about such materials, said that the cloth was manufactured in Glasgow, and could not believe that such cloth came from New Zealand. While we have a protective duty — for virtually it is a protective duty— of 16^. per cent., Ido not think we can call this a Freetrade country.