Evening Post. FRIDAY, AUGUST 16, 1895 MATCHES.

Evening Post, Volume L, Issue 41, 16 August 1895, Page 2

Evening Post. FRIDAY, AUGUST 16, 1895 MATCHES.

Testirday we pointed out how in regard to binder-twine a great sum of money is, > -without any benefit to the Treasury, extracted from the pockets of consumers under -cover of a Protective duty, the profit going "to monopolist manufacturers. The sune "thing, but on what threatens to be a larger scale, exists in regard to wax matches. ' The Tariff Commissioners reported on this subject :— " Taking all the oironmstanoes into " consideration, your Commissioners do not " think the industry of sufficient importance " to the oolony to justify the large loss of " revenue whioh will follow its development, and they have, therefore, " decided to recommend the redup- " tion of the duty at present in " force." The Commissioners reoommendod a, duty ranging from Is to 2a per gross of boxes, the present rate of duty ranging from 2s to 5b Cd. Mr. Ward in his new Tariff haß fixed the duties at from Is to 4a. Last year the duty on wax matches realised .£15,572. In the evidence given before the Tariff Commission it waa shown that the two manufactories — the small ono in Dunedin, and Messrs. Bell & Co.'s here — when fully equipped would be able to supply the whole local demand, and that to do it would not necessitate the employment of more than 2oo people. The proportion of adults to boys and girls would be vary small. In Dunedin, out of 30 employe's, four were men; in Wellington, out of 45, seven were men. The overseer or manager of the Wellington faotory only got £3 a week and a oommission. Tho girls after a few months' experience were able to oarn at piecework from 10s to 12s per week, at a moro or less unhealthy trade. For the purpose of enoouraging suoh an industry, the oolony ib asked to sacrifice upwards of .£15,500 a year in duty, or to permit that sum, or" nearly that sum, to be extracted from the pockets of consumers, to go into the pookota of tho two manufacturing firms. It ia certainly the oaae that Mr. Bell sayß they sell at nearly Gd a gross under the landed price of Bbtant 4 Mat's London matches, sod 8d or 9d below tbeir agency price, but this does not seem to benefit the consumer, as the local article is Bold at precisely the same price as the imported. A reference to the evidenoe given before the Viotorian Tariff Commission on this subjeotis instructive. The duty in Viotoria is Is per gross, the minimum proposed by Mr. Ward here. The average revenue before a local manu. faotory was established was £14,000 a, year. The local faotory (Bill's) now employs 53 hands (Uiree men, two boys, 48 girls), at a cost in wageß of .£1274 per annum. By doubling the number of hands it is believed that tho entire Victorian demand for matobes could be supplied, although Mr. Bsll says he would have to employ 200 hands at a wages oost of .£SOOO a year to do so. The girls in Melbourne earn only 8s 6d a week, and that not regularly. The trade selling prioe of imported matches is 3s 5d per gross, and of the locally-made 3a 3Jd. The retail price is the same, but while, owing to the duty, 3s 3£d is charged in Victoria for the locally-made matches, the same firm sells its Engliah-made matches in Sydney at 2b id per gross. In Viotoria the retail prioe of the local artiole is 3s 6d to 4a per gross ; the New South Wales consumer bays the London-made matohes at 2s 6d per (froas. It is significant to note, in view of the duty proposed by Mr. Warp, that Messrs. Bull's Melbourne manager stated they could carry on if the duty were reduoed to 6d per gross. Mr. Bell, however, dissented from 'this opinion. The Viotorian Tariff Board, like our own Commission, arrived at the conclusion that the industry was not of sufficient value to the country to warrant the large loss of revenue. These are all important faots bearing on the question now before our Parliament. Taken in conjunction with the evidence given before the reoent Commission, they establish beyond reasonable dispute that the match-making industry is not one which deserves tariff encouragement, that its development must seriously ' injure the revenue vrithont in any way benefiting the consumer, and that it would bo cheaper for the colony to pension every man, woman, and boy likely to find employ- ' ment in it, at the full amount of their possible earnings, rather than oontinue to protect the 1 industry by even snoh a reduoed duty as that ' proposed in the new tariff. Even the lower | duties recommended by the Commission ' appear much too high. They might be [ reduced one-half with benefit to the Treaj Jsurf as well as to the consumer, and this | without injuring any looal industry whioh is ' worth protecting. The duties proposed by ! Mr. Ward will yield little or nothing to the ' Treasury, and in no way benefit oonßnnurs , or the labouring population, but they will pnt inordinate profits into the pooketa of the matoh mannfaoturers in the oolony. Wa . objeot to the publio being taxed for the sole benefit of the firms, however enterprising, trhioh have embarked in tiiu manufacture.

MINISTERIAL 'EXTRAVAGANCE. « _ : At last the list of Ministerial travelling | expenses has been laid ou the, tablo of the '. House. It is a shoit leturn, bnt it bus taken moro than a month to prepare. 'I he amount is even heavier than last year. The total of allowances and expenses is .£3129 18s 4d— tho allowances .£1213 10s, the expenses .£l9lO 8s 4d. We have not the travelling allowances and expenses of all tho bodyguards that now-a-dnys accompany Ministers Wo beliovc the total cost will exec-d .£5000 ! An 1 this is the list of a socalled Democratic Ministry. In the heyday of extravagance we doubt if this amount has evor been exceeded. Wo do not know how the amount has been charged. Part of it was unauthorised, bnt until tho fnll accounts are published we shall not know how the other items are charged. We notice Mr. Carroll drew for travelling allowunos .£298 10d. As tbo amount paid is £1 10s per day, ha must have been travelling 199 days. The House was sitting in 159 1 95 from the 20th Jnno till the 24th Ootober, both days included, so there wore only 40 days during which he was not either travelling or attending tbe Houso— a truly peripatetic Minister. Then the expenses boyoud the allowancea were £iS7 la 7d, so the Hon. Mr. Carroll cost tbe colony for travelling expenses and allowances no less a sum than i!585 11s 7d. 'lho Premier is not much better, and Mr Ward wa3 also continually travelling. There is not included in this return the expenses of the Homo trip. If these wore included it would be Been that the total amount of tho Ministerial allowances was extravagant and shameful, especially if the stato of the colony bo considered. We have omitted the honse allowances, all drawn, though two houses wero standing empty and caretakers at tbe Government nxppnse were looking after thorn. 1 here is, in fact, no economy where there should be economy, but wanton extravagance ; and where there should be judicious exponditnro thore is utter parsimony. Wo wonder what the working men think now of their so-called Liberal Ministry ! Liberal, indeed ! It is liberal to Ministers, to tbeir frionds and relatives The Service has b:en filled with relatives, and fitness not considered, and the Ministers have .'ooked well after thomsolvos, as this return Mid last year's return chow. This return should open the eyes of the workers aa to why work is scarce.