The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE. Equal and exact justice to all men. Of whatsoever state or persuasion, religious or political. SATURDAY, JAN. 23, 1892.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 3046, 23 January 1892, Page 2

The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE. Equal and exact justice to all men. Of whatsoever state or persuasion, religious or political. SATURDAY, JAN. 23, 1892.

No greater fiscal fallacy has been adopted by nations than that which has led to the imposition of heavy Customs duties with the idea of promoting the wealth and welfare of a people. At no period in the world's history has this evil existed to a greater extent than at the present time. England stands almost alone as the exemplar of the results of free trade; under this policy she has become enormously rich, and her people are the creditors of nearly every civilised Government in the world. It is true that she has had the advantage of coal and iron deposits in contiguity; this has enabled hor to construct and work machinery at less cost than, up to a recent date, has been possible for any other people. The certainty and less cost of carriage of the produce of one country to the markets of others led her claim to the premier position amongst manufacturing countries to be challenged, and has encouraged the erection of Customs-bar-riers against the productions of her looms and furnaces. She nevertheless stands at the present moment far in advance of the first rank of her commercial competitors. There is no getting over the fact that Customs duties give an artificial value to the goods levied upon. When these are applied o'ouerally, the cost of producing every class of gouds within the country is increased, and the ihilii v to i'i:ii[K);h in thn markets ,f tli" world [ircipH-MoTi-illy n>si(. (.»j This h -in liwri-'t' t'l"

i.- .t Viv 114; i-t t;ii'i IU.-vJvl. Wo 1 mi ln'iMi in 1 i» r!i'i-» i'i.se by r.ho facts whicli the Trade Koview has lai'l before the people of this colony, facts which claim the ! earnest consideration of every voter ] in the country. More particularly that of every man who is pursuing the primary industry of extracing product-! from the soil. Our contemporary Im compared the returns for Auckland for 188U and 1889 and we take his figures. He has found that a large number of industries have disappeared or present more or less reduced dimensions. Sixteen have ceased and 179 other establishments are reduced to 131. Commenting on these figures ho says: We think the lesson to he learnt from our investigation is that it is impossible to build up a number of great manufacturing industries out of the present population of New Zealand and that the ratjge or industries in which success is probable is limited, and generally in connection with the natural products ot

the country, and the tax levied on the community by any attempt to force the progress of industries by Customs duties is out of all proportion to the benefits achieved." We perfectly agree with him. Our financial position is unfortunately such that we cannot afford to forego Customs Duties, we must have the revenue, and we are unable to suggest any system of taxation of which Customs duties must not of necessity lie a most important element. The acceptation of this fact should not, however, prevent the electors insist-

ing that the sum raised by Customs shall be reduced, and that the duties shall be solely for revenue purpose, and not to bolster up manufactures to put money into the pockets of a few, or possibly encourage them to sacrifice, in a struggle against natural commercial laws, that whichthey have. All farmers accept tho fact that it is useless to grow a crop on soil unsuited to its production. They do not, however, turn to the Legislature and ask for such laws or taxation ae will enable them to make a profit by pulling against the stream of natural foices. Did they do so they would be laughed at as imbeciles. The Protectionist does, yet men have become so accustomed to the absurdity that they submit patiently to the injustice entailed. Protection means and can only mean that the many are to be sacrificed to the few. If the cost of conveyance and other charges incidental to the importation of mamifactures are not sufficient pre-

tectioa it is abundantly clear that the country from some reason or other is tinsuited to the production of the article in question, and thnt the labour employed upon it is so much force wasted, for the reason that it is misapplied. The evil does not end here, the cost of producing articles suited to the country is increased and the chance of competing profitably in the markets of the world lessened. In obedience to the cry of the trades' unions Sir H. Atkinson in 1888 advanced a step in the direction of protection, we have above pointed to the result. Mr Ballance is a pronounced Protectionist, and we fear that^ there is little chance during his regime of

the false step of his predecessor being retraced. The Customs Duties are such a simple and half hidden mode of extracting money from the people that Treasurers are naturally prone to affection for them. It is for the people, howover, the farming class pnrticularly, to return members pledged to insist that they shall be reduced. They have been cajoled into submission by the plea that if industries were protected the population would increase and in consequence a greater demand arise for the produce of the soil. Indisputable facts clearly show that this promise has not been fulfilled.