PROTECTION.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 12, Issue 914, 4 February 1868, Page 2

PROTECTION.

Last year we called attention to the absolute necessity of protection for our colonial products, and we iustanced the case of Victoria, which, wealthy aud successful as she is, does not disdain to impose an import duty on wheat of 6d. per bushel in the iuterests of her agriculturists. Now, it is Australia (aud Victoria not less than other colouies) which profits by our neglect iv this respect. While all are complaining how hard they find the times — while those who produce, and to whom hiue-tentbs of the imported capital of the colony belongs, have duriug the past two years Buffered the loss of perhaps half the value of their properties, wo, as a colony, allow that particular class to be driven out of our own market by Australian competitors. The foreign speculator oftener loses than gains by the transaction, it is true; but at this season there are daily arriving at our diggings shiploads of sheep and cargoes of cattle from without, which, if they do not enrich the actual importer, at all events impoverish the community, whose money leaves the country without any return whatever. With mutton so cheap throughout the colony, the digger, who is only a temporary sojouruer here, has less reason to complaiu of our taxing foreigu meat than he had at Melbourne, whence he came, to complaiu of a tax ou Adelaide wheat of fully 10 per cent. He did not complain there, and would not here.

There is a wider gulf fixed between Australia and ourselves than between Adelaide- and Melbourne ; aud the effect of these large importations of stock is simply to withdraw from circulation large sums of money, for nothing that we produce is taken iv return. All this impoverishes our stockowuers, who, with bad wool markets to contend with, high rates of interest to pay, absolutely no sale for mutton, and scarcely at all reduced rates of wages, must before long curtail their enterprise so completely, as to cause a reciprocal retrogression in other branches of iudustry. In older communities this would have been long ago apparent. As yet, in spite of our comfortable neighbour, who cheeringly alludes nowaudtheu to the " hard times," they have really penetrated but few of the towns of the colony. There has been no falling off of house rent at least 75 per cent., such as in the value of sheep — no proportionate diminution of business. People are hopeful in new regions, aud Englishmen are led by precedent, and too easily judge by the past; but it is our painful duty to pull aside the veil which conceals the reality in these things. That past can never return to New Zealand. Duricg 1863, 1864, aud 1865, eight millions sterling of public money was expended by the Colonial and Imperial Governments in hard money amongst us, of which the greater part has left something more than its shadow behind, in the shape of the interest we have to send home half-yearly. We were magnificent in those days; we raised, equipped, and maintained fleets aud armies; we subsidised ocean Hues of steamers ; and we threw open our ports to every neighbour who could compete with our own producers. Alas! those days are "past, and this generation can see them no more; our experience is all that remains — experience for all the money which we spent. Let us apply it now, and let us set our house in order by avoiding all that is still avoidable of the errors of the past. While we tax almost everything we cannot produce and must have, at least let those articles which we can produce be taxed also. Do not let us make a sacrifice of our own fellow-settlers for the realisation of any theory, however advanced it may seem to the mind of the political economists of more thicklyinhabited countries. And wo may do well, also, to warn those who still obstinately cling to the notions of our golden age, that if they wish to see any gold left in the couutry, it will not be by adding the price of all the beef and mutton consumed on the gold-fields to the steam subsidies aud interest on public and private debts, which are now sent out of the country.

Acclimatization Society. — On Thursday last, at the close of the Agricultural Society's meeting, the subject of an Acclimatization Secicty was brought under discussion. Donald Gollan Esq. was voted into the chair. After the subject had been talked over, it was resolved — "That, as it is highly desirable to encourage the introduction of insectivorous birds and useful plants and trees, an Acclimatization Society be formed." The annual subscription was fixed at £1 Is, and the following gentlemen

appointed office bearers : — President, His Honor the Superintendent ; Vice-President, Lieutenant-Colonel Whitmore ; Committee, Messrs. J. D. Ormond, H. R. Russell, T. Tanner, 0. Carp, H. S. Tiffen, C. J. Nairn, and Cartwright Brown. Through an omission, no secretary or treasurer was appointed, but Mr. Tiffen has agreed for the present to act in these capacities. His Honor the Superintendent had previously written to Auckland for some pheasants. These will arrive by next steamer, and will be submitted to public auction. Several budgeregars (?) are now on sale by Mr. Tiffen on account of the society.

Electric Telegraph. — It will be seen from our advertising columns that tenders are invited for the erection of the telegraph between Tenui valley and Porangahau.

The Weather. — The nor-easter of Sunday and yesterday was succeeded, yesterday afternoon, by a westerly gale, which will speedily dry up the little moisture left by the showers which fell in course of Sunday.

Madame Carandini and her talented troupe will perform in Napier on the evening of Friday, 14th inst., and on three subsequent nightd. The Auckland papers speak in the highest terms of the merits of Madame Carandini, her daughters, and Mr. Sherwin.

Ship Echunga. — It will be scon by advertisement that the wreck of this ship will be sold by auction this day at noon, by Messrs. Routledge, Kennedy and Co.

Sheep Station for Sale. — To-morrow Mr. Lyndon will sell that valuable sheep station, situate at Turiroa, near Clyde, Wairoa, formerly in the occupation of Messrs. Stopford and Gethin, comprising 1532 acres of freehold land, more or less, -with the sheep and lambs depasturing thereon, in number about 4100. — See advertisement.