THE NEW TARIFF.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 9176, 6 August 1895, Page 3

THE NEW TARIFF.

TO 'HIE EDITOR OF THE PR_S3. Sir,—l am much surprised to see that our Colonial Treasurer should have deemed it prudent to increase the tariff duties. It is a further attempt to place this colony under a purely protective policy in response to a few local manufacturers and trade agitators, animated I fear by the most selfish motives. The latter class no doubt think that protection will permanently benefit them, a theory which I do not for a moment believe. Protection is a curse to any country, because it enriches the few, and generally oppresses the many. Look at America for an example. There you have millionaires by the huudreds, but "what is the condition of labour? Squalid poverty stauds out in strikiog contrast amongst its labouring classes. Look at its recent struggles and riots to draw attention to its grievances. Ye 3, I maintain protection is a fertile source of wealth and poverty. Victoria is surely not a paradise for labour, notwithstanding its prohibitive protection, or we should not have so many hundreds of meu over here seeking work. Although a Freetrader myself I am prepared to admi'-'fcha't ifrinay be wise and even necessary for a while to help our-local industries a little by the imposition of a moderate duty tariff. But that I contend was arnptly provided for by the Customs tariff passed by the Government of Jthe lateSir Harry Atkinson, and which \vV have been working under now for several years ; and, further, I think that if our local industries cannot succeed with the protection afforded by that tariff, well, then, Sir, my convection is they do not deserve to exist at all. The" alteration in the tariff on boots, for instance, is altogether unnecessary, and therefore I am glad to see your very sensible leader in this morning's pap er dealing with the subject, and as you point out, if the advance on boots is not sufficient to-alter the cost to the purchasers, a3 the manufacturers say, well, then, it will come out of the pocket of the importers, a matter which does not appear to give them any concern, so long as they get themselves protected. That is a fair example of protection, selfishness. The old tariff protected them up to, say 23 per cent., yet they want more. And yet there are to be found exceptions who are reasonable. I met one to-day who admitted that 20 per cQnt. was quite sufficient on boots, even from a manufacturer's point ot view. And, in addition to that, the Customs always add on to all invoices of goods 10 per cent, before calculating the duty, and that is why I call it 23 per cent, previous to present increase. I predict, Sir, that the alteration in the tariff will so prejudice the country against the present Government at the coming election as will imperil its existence. Taxation is being carried to a fine art. Retrenchment is not thought of. Honorariums, must not be touched. Ministers' salaries and heavy travelling expenses— hands off! Oh, no; bleed the taxpayer, he has no friends. And all this by a Liberal Government, who ha 3 all along been telling us that they are the frieuds of tbe people, and have flaunted the policy of the settlement of the people on the land before us. Talking the other day with a settler up North, I asked him about how they were getting on. Why, he said, we have been two years enduring the greatest hardship, under promise of the Government that we should have roads to our sections aud work provided to assist ns - but roads we have never got yet, and some of us have to carry our food and every other thing we require on our backs distances of from four to seven mile 3. This, says he, is my present experience, and yet we have taxes to pay and rent come due and no roads. These are hard facts that I can vouch for from one of the settlers. What is the good of land to which there is no road ? Is this settling the people on th-i land?— Yours, &c, Fair Tsade.