"THE YANKEE OCTOPUS."

Evening Post, Volume LXX, Issue 60, 8 September 1905, Page 2

"THE YANKEE OCTOPUS."

MORE ABOUT THE HARVESTER TRUST, i ANOTHER DEPUTATION TO THE PREMIER. The American Harvester Trust was brought under the Premier's notice- again yesterday— the occasion being a depntation from the Now Zealand Employers Federation, which has > just concluded tho holding of a conference in Wellington. The subject was introduced by Mr. Beaven (of Andrews and Beaven, Christchurch). He asked that the Premier, before attempting to pass his Trade Monopolies Prevention v Bill, should look into and examine the working of the American Harvester Trust. He repeated some of the arguments used by Mr. J. M. Hall (as reported in yesterday's paper), and pointed out that the local consumer was the best customer for the local producer, and though they thought strong arguments could be shown to the farmers, something should be done. Tho employers recognised the difficulty. They saw that it was a hard proposition, but they wore sure there was some way of meeting the Trust. A reciprocal' tariff with Great Britain might be arranged, or there might be an extension of the Patents and Designs Acts. 'They wanted to deal with Great Britain. America took nothing from us, and sent us a- lot of things that we did not want. When dealing with trusts in the colony, Parliament should also deal with foreign trusts. In the course of his reply to the deputation, the Promier spoke of the misfortune of the Trust invasion, but added : "We have met most cases in time, nnd I hope we shall meet this." He spoke of his desire to see New Zealand a self-con-I tuined country, and defined the two species of trusts — the legitimate trado combine and, the illegal monopoly, and he declared that if. a combination used as its weapons low Avages and tho infliction Of high prices on its own people and the dumping of its surplus, he would look upon it as Illegal and unfair competition. He did not think the matter could be dealt with by patents. We must deal with it in a bold and conscientious way. "You have to carry the consumer with you, and if you teach the farmer that if he allows himself to be led away by a temporary advantage for which he will pay through the nose later on, he will very soon agree with you."