The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, and Echo. FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 1885.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 84, 17 April 1885, Page 2

The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, and Echo.

FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 1885.

Wot the causa that lacks asslstanoe, For Che wrong that needs reslstuo*. For the future In the distance, And the gwd that no oan do.

The Duncdin Chamber of Commerce have found the subject of Reciprocity with Victoria, introduced upon the motion of Mr Robert Gillies, too lough a question for them. After a long debate at the adjourned meeting, one member suggested that they should hand the question over io the Parliamentary Union; another that it should be shelved for six months ; but finally it was again agreed to adjourn for another month in the hope that a larger assemblage of members would enable the Chamber to come to a decision. In the course of the discussion it was mentioned that Sir Julius Vogel had expressed the opinion that the Victorian market was glutted with locally-manufactured goods, and they now wanted an outlet. The debate resolved itself into a contention between the champions of Free Trade and Protection ; but even Free Traders feel that this Reciprocity proposal is a very half-hearted sort of thing, fulfilling the conditions of neither of the two great rival economic systems. To protect or favour Victorian manufactures against English goods of the- same class is, as we have before shown, unjust to our best customer. England takes more than three-fourths of our entire exports, and if we are to admit any outside manufacturers into competition with our local industries.Great Britain has the first claim. It is, of course, truo that the Victorian manufacturers produce under more equal labour conditions than those of the Home country, and we could hold our own against them more easily; nevertheless, a ten years' enjoyment of rigid Protection has developed manufactures in the neighbouring colony, and the signing of a Reciprocity Treaty would be followed by the flooding of this colony with Victorian goods. Even presuming that our local producers would in the end hold their own, very considerable disorganisation in the local markets would result temporarily, with attendant revenue disturbances. The supporters of Reciprocity in the Dunedin Chamber signally failed to show what New Zealand would gain from the Treaty. The mover of the resolution employed as his cardinal argument the opinion that the abolition of the import duties would open Victorian markets to New Zealand agricultural products ; but Victoria is already a large exporter of all classes of farm products, oats only excepted, and it is absurd to suppose that New Zealand would, under such conditions, derive much benefit from the privilege of competing with Victorian farmers. The experiment is, we think, too hazardous a one for this colony to try in the present struggling condition of her manufacturing industries.