The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE. TUESDAY, JAN. 24, 1893.

Waikato Times, Volume XL, Issue 3211, 24 January 1893, Page 2

The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

TUESDAY, JAN. 24, 1893.

Equal and exact justice to all men, Of whatsoever state nr persuasion, religious 01 political. ,

In our last issue we noticed the meetling of the National Agricultural Association. We were, however, not able in the. space at our disposal to do more than give facts, as evidenced by authenticated figures, and the resolutions which were passed, indicating the means which, in the opinion ot the meeting, should be adopted, in order to relieve those engaged in agricultural and grazing pursuits from the very seriously depressed state into which they have drifted. It is our present intention to consider the resolutions with a view in the first place of conIsidering the probability of their being given effect to. In the second, if this were accomplished whether the legislation and other means suggested would have the effect which the meeting believed would follow. In the third to consider what lesson, if any,-is deducible from the facts, likely to prove beneficially instructive to the corresponding classes in their country. The first resolution which was moved by Mr Chaplin simply stated the position which is unquestionable and gave as the three principal factors to that end, the continuous fall in prices since 1874—bad harvests, foreign and colonial competition. There is no doubt that this is an accurate summing up of : the principal causes, The truth of the statement is equally apparent that if this continues more and more land will go put of cultivation ; we accept the statement of the mover of the resolution that much of the land has ceased to give any returns already and thus a further fall in prices means working at a loss. This can only mean no rent to the landlord and no return to the farmer, a position which the latter would not accept, oven if the former were willing that he should occupy rather than that the land should remain idle and deteriorate. The above we believe a fair statement of the position. The next resolution deals with the first of the proposed remedial measures, There is no beating about the bush in the resolution, which was carried after considerable dissent by a small minority. It declares emphatically for protective duties to the extent of the taxes paid by home producers, It is natural to a drowning man to grasp at a straw without mentally recognising that it cannot afford any appreciable support. The meeting was considering a desperate position and rather adopted a proposal without considering the possibility of its adoption. They failed to grasp the fact that protection to one industry means' inevitably a clamouring for protection all round, a system to the evils of which the United States has just awakened, and Mr Harrison's defoat is mainly due to the combination of tho farmers. Thoy suffered because their country was an exporter of food supplies, and CQOMipntly had flPfhing to pro-

feet. Protection to food supplies means for England increase in the cost of living and consequently another blow at her commercial supremacy which easy and cheap transport has enabled other nations to challenge, and there can be no question but that this cause combined with the unsettled state of the labour market, has seriously shaken her commercial position, As one of the speakers stated the whole Press of the country was against protection, and added, "They all knew what sort of a reception any candidate for Parliament would receive who made the proposition. The passing of the resolution was very much as a child crying for the moon. If it got it it would find it useless as a plaything and we are of opinion that the agricultural classes would find their scheme almost equally ineffective as a remedy for their ills. As one of the speakers very aptly pointed out, " both the town worker and the agriculturist had learned from history that industry, whether it was the growing of corn, raising of cattle, or making of boots gravitated to that country where economical production was possible." In order to gild the pill one speaker suggested that the duty should be applied to a scheme of pensions to old men. He evidently quite overlooked the fact that the duty would come out of the pockets of all classes for the benefit of the one, a proposal which they would not be at all likely to appreciate, Another fact seems to have been overlooked, the same cry of agricultural depression comes from France and other highly protected countries, which goes far to show that protection is not the panacea represented. The next resolution deals with a still more abstruse question, as to the degree in which the agriculturist suffers by the appreciation of gold, and to what extent a universal system of bi-metalism would improve their position. The appreciation of gold only applies to dealings with countries which have the dual standard of value, or employ that of silver only. Tho United States and India, which are the great competitors in the English food market are in this position »ud the nominal relative values of the two metals being unequal exporters from those counties receive a bonus on their exports in the shape of favourable exchange. We know by cable that the Monetary Conference which has sat at Brussels has failed to agree to a means of adjustment; it is not, therefore, worth while to discuss the question. The last resolution which was adopted was in favour of the establishment of an agricultural union, to be composed of all persons of whatever class who are interested in the land, to give effect to resolutions j to frame measures that may be needful; to organise its members into a compact body of voters pledged to return, regardless of party, such candidates as agree to support such measures; to promote the co-operation of all connected with the land, whether owners, occupiers or labourers for the common good. This was, the only resolution passed, so far as we as yet know, which is within the boundaries of practical politics, and the only one under the conditions existing in this colony whieh is worthy of imitation. Such a union in this colony could but have beneficial effects. ' One of the speakers at the conference attributed the ills of agriculturists to the heavier taxation they had to bear compared with other classes. The same evil exists in this country, as we have freI quently explained, and such a combination as the above would remedy this evil and counteract the inimical influence of the Trades Unions, | which are combined to perpetrate the injustice, and are quite prepared to intensify it. The position in the Old Country is a serious one, and the' conference so far has utterly failed to suggest a practical remedy. This being so we are forced to the conclusion that the secret is in the fact that all industries, as said the speaker, we have quoted, gravitate to the countries which can produce most cheaply, and that the climatic conditions are such that Great Britain is not the one destined to remain a grain-producing country. There were Beveral suggestions which were put forth by speakers, but not embodied in resolutions, which are indicative of the current of political thought, but we must defer our consideration of those to a future article. Some of those are on the same lines as those which have favour with the Radical and Socialistic sections of our own population, and on these grounds are interesting. They, however, met with small consideration from the conference as a body.