THE RANGIORA BUDGET.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 12477, 12 April 1906, Page 6

THE RANGIORA BUDGET.

The interviews with leading business men, which appear in our columns today, confirm our opinion that in announcing the proposed alterations in the tariff before submitting them to Parliament Mr Seddon committed a. gray© error in judgment-, whksh is likeOy to have a somewhat serious effect in disorganising trade. Naturally every retailer will take care to stock as little as possible of the goods on which the reductions are promised, but will go in for supplies of a hatnd-to-moutii character until the question of fetio duties ifl finally settled. The position is made all the worse owing to the uncertainty with which Sir Seddon clouded hie statement. The reductions were promised in such, a tentative way that no one knows for certain when they will be brought down, or whether they will be submitted in the exact, shape foreshadowed. Moreover, in any case, they are subject to the will of Parliament, and in tariff matters even Mr Seddon may not bo able to get his own way completely. Certainly the old plan of keeping any proposed alterations in the tariff strictly secret until they are laid before Parliament in the Budget speech has much, to recommend it in preference to this new departure.

As regards tie alterations proposed or suggested, we think the reductions on sugar, cotton goods, forfar, and linens, etc., and the remission of the duties on dried fruits, maizena, and potatoes will be generally approved. We have hardly heard a good won], even from the' xnoet hardened smoker, however, in favour of the reduction of Is 4d per lb <m tobacco. It is very generally recognised that, being purely a luxury, tobacco v one of the fittest subjects for taxation, and that it would be a great mistake to throw away £131,000 of revenue in order that the emoker may get hie tobacco a penny an ounce cheaper. The reduction might parhaps tend to encourage the habit of smoking among the young, hut we do not think that any adult smoker

grudges the present duty. If Mr Sed<km tlimke he can spare line amount of revenue he had far better devote it to removing jtbe duties on some other artiolee of food or clothin- or better still on eosne raw material used in manufactures, thereby encouraging local industry.