The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE. Equal and excat Justice to all men, Of whatsoever state or persuasion, religious or political. TUESDAY, APRIL. 5, 1892.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 3077, 5 April 1892, Page 2

The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE. Equal and excat Justice to all men, Of whatsoever state or persuasion, religious or political. TUESDAY, APRIL. 5, 1892.

A. CAisLF.GiiA.it under date April Ist says;—" Sir John Lubbock spoakinf at a meeting of the Lond< n Chamber of Commerce expressed his sympathy with the proposal for froe trade between England and the colonies." Sir John is a London banker and a politician of expei ience and weight, and as chairman of the London County Council has proved himself an able initiator and administrator of a policy. An expression of sympathy for a policy is mild and implies that the speaker did not enter into details or attempt to show how his convictions could be given effect to. There can be no question but that universal free trade would conduce to the prosperity and happiness of the human race. Each couutry would produce the commodities which circumstances allowed it to do at a lower rate than others and would depend upon other countries for those which could not be so advantageously put upon the market by internal industry. The result would follow that the cost of the necessaries and luxuries of life would be reduced to a minimum. It is impossible to o*et over the fact, that, to tax commodities with the object of supporting home industries, means tnat all who use thoso commodities pay more than the natural price. It also appears to us an insurmountable fact that, where the cost of freight, insurance, profit to original producers and other charges are not sufficient protection, the country is for some reason uufitted for the industry. Again, the cost of living is increased and the industries which are fitted to the country are handicapped in the struggle for an outside market. Cost of living in a degree influences the rate of wages : a policy which adds to the former makes wages higher without benefitting those who earn them. If the purchasing power of five shillings were rendered as great as that of seven, the five would manifestly be of equal value. Money is not value except as being the most convenient mode of exchange and the standard by which value is estimated. But these ai'e only generalities. Let us consider Sir J. Lubbock's idea from a practical Doint of view. The colonies, only excepting (until quite recently), New South Wales, have acced on the fiscal principle of raising the major portion of their revenue through the customs and have so fixed duties as to protect or promote their own manufactures. It is only necessary to compare the duties and imports of these countries to prove that the attempt oven under favourable circumstances has proved more than a pai'tial failure, and to a greater extent still where the raw material of the protected article is not the produce of the colony. The adoption of free trade between the different dependencies of the Empire and the mother country herself, involves of necessity that a very much larger proportion of the ontiro revonue of the colonies shall be raised by direct taxation, and all irjasurers are alivo to the fact tliac it is much easier to weedlo ten .shillings from the pockets of the people than to extract half the sum by a direct impost. Few can have forgotten how readily Sir H- Atkinson acceded to the demands of the Protectionists to increase the duties on certain articles: he pleased them and at the 6ame time relieved him* self from a serious financial difficulty. Recent returns have clearly demonstrated that the additional duties imposed have not added to the number or those engaged in the production of the articles dealt with In consequeace every nion who has since used th 3 commodities has paid a higher price for them, and additional employment has not been found for the population. That the latter follows on the adoption of their policy is the one strong argument of the Protectionists. Aside, however, fruin the question of duties imposed for protection purposes the statesman who moved in the direction of fulfilling the aspirations of Sir J. Lubbock would have to formulato a system, of direct taxation which would bo possible to pass through a popular legislature. It would be first, necessary to convince a majority of the people that Protection is amistako. lie would without doubt be strenuously opposed by those who have vested interests, whether as proprietors of manufactories or by having served their apprenticeship to the trado. This would apply to all producers, as it would affect not only those who benefit largely by protective duties, but also those who derive a small profit consequent or those imposed for purely revenue purposes. All these standing shoulder to shoulder would present a phalanx sufficiently strong to make the boldest politician hesitate, and the weak-kneed abandon the project as hopeless, no matter liow stron" 1 his conviction that the new ° policy was patriotic in both an Imporial and colonial sense. It would of course bo to tho interest of every man who lives by extracting wealth from the soil or bowels of mother earth to stand by him, but they have yet to bo much educated both as to the faot and in skill in combination. As we pointed out on Saturday last, the taxpayers within the three kingdoms are liablo to bear the cost of protecting tho

colonies against foreign aggression. This being so, is it but just nnd politic that wo should give (horn a preference of trade in order to strengthen their hands to save us ? Hut. this savours somewhat of sentiment, and sentiment has little weight in practical politics when at any rate by giving it sway the brokors' pockets are affected. Notwithstanding our convictions that, the realisation of the droam of Sir J. Lubbock would be for the benefit of the whole and of each integral portion of the Empire, we fear that this century would have long expired before those who undertake to bring about its fructification will be able to congratulate themselves that they have made any appreciable advance. A war entered into on behalf of one oi the colonies might hurry matters a little, but that is a mode of progress not to be desired.