ANOMALIES OF THE TARIFF.

Evening Star, Issue 6842, 4 March 1886, Page 3

ANOMALIES OF THE TARIFF.

TO THK EDITOR.

Slit, —You have nlwzys iu the past consistently and unsparingly denounced any attempt to foster local industry by any .increase of the Customs dutl-s of tins Colony. You could also with a largo measure ot harness and consistency devote a small portion of your space so largely employed iu advocating Freetrader to pointing out some of the unjust anomalies axlsting under our tariu whereby the coulrtry is directly losing revenue, and foreign manufacturers ate allowed to legally smuggle goods into this market on which our domestic producers have to pay heavy impost. I shall give you one case in point, and go no.farther than my own business for an example. At tho same time I understand that there are many industries outside of this particular branch which suffer in a similar way. On tho ono hand we have imported ginger ale coming into tiro New Zealand market duty free under the head of aerated waters, while on tho other hand the ocal maker of this article pays the fallowing high duties: — Jd per lb on sugar, 10), per cent, corks, Kit per oc-nt. on citric acid, If!i per cent, extract gfnger_ ale, 10J per cent, on fruit extracts, and 25 per cent, on ginger, etc. These facts plainly prove that the foreign manufacturer shipping goods to this country enjoys, as against the local producer, such unequal privilege for his manufactures ns would gladden the heart of the most extreme Protectionist. While this state of things exists injustice is not confined to Ireland I trust that by your drawing attention to tbo above and similar grievances it will lead our own Home Rulers to sec that the men who employ labor in the country, who pay rent ami multitudinous City rates and other taxes, shall at least bo placed on an equal footing with foreign competitors, more especially as a duty on mVated waters equivalent to these pakl by tho local man on the raw material would not be Protection, Imt, as I have pointed out, compel tho payment of high duties which are now evaded and lost to tho country, and, at tire same time, remove an unfair handicap from the shoulders of a deserving industry.—l am, etc., A. Thomson. Dunedin, March 4.