The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE. Equal and exact justice to all men, Of whatsoever state or persuasion, religious or political. THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 1892,

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 3105, 9 June 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. THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 1892,

The persistent reports coupled with tile utterances of Ministerial supporters, leave little room to doubt that it is the intention of the Government to intensify the protection policy at present existing. We are also told that it is proposed to reduce or abandon the duties on tea and sugar. Both these propositions will be strong bids for the support of the labouring classes, and the latter will no doubt meet with the approval of the farmers, but when taken in conjunction with the first the thinking portion of them will recognise that they must exercise great viligance to secure that the proposed increase in the

I r . protective duties does not place them in the position of receiving Gd to put in one pocket and be called upon to pay out from the other an equal or larger sum. Ic is manifest that unless there is a saving in expenditure equal to the duties remitted that the volume of taxation cannot be reduced. If the budget of the Colonial Treasurer does not show this, they may rely upon it that their position will be the worse for the change. Protection means and can only mean that the land occupier pays more than otherwise would be the. case for the protective articles he consumes. The farmer does not want protection in this country, because from the nature of things "New Zealand must be an exporter of agricultural produce for many years. There is another point of view from which the farmer should look at the question. The object of protection is to give employment at a rate of wages artifically produced, with the direct result that the labour which the farmer requires is made more costly and less plentiful. At the same time the labourer he employs, is only partially if at all, benefitted by the increment, as the advantage is wholly or partially neutralised by the extra sum it costs him to live and support his family, consequent on the heavy duties he has to pay mi clothing and other necessaries. Under the present tariff every article lie puts upon his own back or that of his wifo and children is nearly one third dearer than it otherwise would be. In other words it is given a value one third greater than the cost of production and profit to manufacturer and dealer. This same fact prevails with regard to many other articles which are 1 necessary to civilized life. As we have frequently pointed out, protection increases the cost of living i and production and thus handicaps the agriculturist in his competition in the markets of the world, aud it is in them that he must look for r customers for his produce. It is not pretended by the protectionists that the duties they propose are e in order to raise necessary revenue ; d on the contrary, the application of . S their system is with the avowed object of preventing importation altogether, and forcing, as are grapes ;s in a" hot house, the industries proi y tected, and a very costly process .it ,e proves, so much so, that only the ir '<-l-h .-an ifford the luxury of induij.Mice. The colony has not yet become rich enough by the produce ' of its land and mines to he able to lake upon itself the nursing of industries unsuited for the. present at T any rate, to its circumstances, more particularly as it is extremely doubtful whether any amount ot 7 nursing will bring them to maturity 3 ' for many years. They will only have reached that stage when they can walk alone independent altogether of extraneous aid. We have suffered from a high protective D tariff for many years, .and it has most signally failed to bring about 7 the object aimed at, outside the Sl raising of revenue. That any re venue should now be raised hy this IK means is a atrone argument against | the continuance of the policy biV 1 protectioiiisw are as insatiable as i the character immortalised »y

Dickens —-they still ask for more. In this case, however, it would be more correct to write that more is to be voluntarily offered to them. With what object? In the first place to secure political support, in the second, because of necessity an increase of revenue must, for a time at any rate, result. Mr Balance with the aid of his protectionist friends is, if rumour does not belie him, about to endeavour to 1 convince the people that to be whipped thoroughly with a customs rod is good for them, more particularly when the sprigs tea and sugar are removed from the instrument of torture. As we pointed out the other day, when writing hi reference to a* speech of Lord Salisbury, protection only benefits capitalists, whose capital is invested otherwise than in land, and those who are employed by them and that the land owner and land occupier of necessity pay the piper. If the financial position of the colony will allow of tne abolition of the tea and sugar duties, we hail the proposal with the utmost satisfaction, but we are not inclined to swallow the tempting bait with any avidity, since it conceals the deadly hook of more protection. All classes would benefit equally by the abolition, but the land occupiers' share would be swept away by the additional taxation proposed.