THE NEW TARIFF.

Hot Lakes Chronicle, Volume 3, Issue 143, 28 August 1895, Page 4

THE NEW TARIFF.

The New Zealand Trade Review, in noticing the new tariff, Bays ; 1 We fear the result of the tariff will disappoint many, and satisfy but few. Spirits, beer, and eoft«goods are the lines which havs been mainly reoponsible for the falling off in the revenue, and a revival of trade is not likely to be brought about by an increaso of duty. With the aid of duty free wine 'from South Australia we shall probably see a further decline in spirits and beer. .Neither will the soft goods trade be promoted by simplifying everything up to 20 or 25 per cent. The peddling reductions will, in many cases, never reach the con?utner, and where they do they are too small to stimulate consumption or relieve pressure. We must of course recognise that with a parliamentary majority favouring protection it is useless to complain of effect being given to their views by a tinkering tariff, but remembering that we are about the most heavily Customs- f .axed community of Australasia, and believing that this burden is one of the causes of the decline of our purchasing power, we think the action of the Treasurer in a«idi:ig another £IO,OOO to that burden while carrying on public works out of revenue to the extent of £200,000 or £300,000 a-year is unwise and unjustifiable, and likely to recoil upon himself. We think also that the class character of the measure is distinctly objectionable. It is all protection, consideration for manufacturers, consideration for the working classes, but not a thought of consideration for those who are catering for our wants in carrying on the large impoi ting and distributing trade of the colony, nor consideration for the general body of consumers. However, these things have a vay of righting themselves m