MR HOLMES AND PROTECTION.

Press, Volume XLI, Issue 6153, 9 June 1885, Page 3

MR HOLMES AND PROTECTION.

TO THE EDITOB OP THB PEBSB. Sib,—Last night in his address Mr Holmes held out protection as the great panacea for the chronic depressions we experience in New Zealand. He has yet to learn political economy. He told us that certain countries received such great advantages from protection, and that if we put on protective duties what a glorious colony this would be. How we should be able to manufacture almost everything we are now importing, and besides supplying our waht», be able to export our surplus. Now there are two sides to every question, and if one country, exports certain articles another country must import them. Well, if other countries where we send our exports to put on a protective tariff, by way of reciprocity, to exclude our exports, and they raised the said tariff ao as virtually to exclude our goods, what benefit, then would protection be to us £ . We should only be making a rod for our own back. Protectionism means' taking away our freedom, a protectionist is the slave of a narrow mind. It is a great bar to progress is .protection, for the consumers have to pay through the [nose in order that two or three selfish men may pocket money. Tours, &c, Lxonidas. June sth, 1885.