CORRESPONDENCE.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XXVII, Issue 2755, 25 June 1894, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

PROTECTION//''" \ ] To the Editor oftTurStar. \ Sm,— l don't " tbmk, •! TrecSS Trade " j knows what he is talking about. It is all | very well to b^ck op tbe editor of tbe Haweba Stab, and agree wilb him that •' Protection was the cause of the American deficit." (It is always sate to agree with tbe editor.) What do we working men care for "defioits " ?-wbat we wanfcis higher wages and cheaper goods. The Soientifio American (you can't get behind that) has proved by statistics that protection has ** actually cheapened production ;" and our memberj George (who was put in by tbe working meh becanse lie is a protectionist, and kept in by tbe farmers to represent them and to* protect 'their' interests) asserted it on tbe platform ; George F. Baker- proved it by bis letter of the 9th inst. This- should^ be proof euffioient to anyone but a thickheaded freetrader. Take wool, for inatance^-we are all interested in wool : "Free Trade.."' may recollect that some years ago he could buy real Welsh flannel v at 2a 6d to 33 6d per yard. And it was 'flannel ; It would wear for years. Bat since we have had protection , we have encouraged local prodaotton,, and kept the money, inj ,th,e country. J Let " Free Trade "go into bur drapers' shops now, and see if be can find anything like the old Welsh flannel ; tbey will show him " our colonial flannel " iat 1 lOd a yard. Has not protetJtfonP obeapened production ? In. Amenoa J j. under protection tbey invented cotton! iblanketß and cotton flannels, a very cheap production; and as it is right that we yoao£ sucking ' proteationists of New Zealandshould follow the good example of Amerioa. co we have gone in for cotton flannels — to cheapen., the .production.', .of wool. „ I " Freetrader' is a married man, and he seems to know something about boots, perhaps he knows something about ootton flannel, or " flannelettes " — tbe name; is an improvement on flannel— and .the article is muoh cheaper ; let him ask his draper which! he sells the. most of, colonial flannel or imported flannelettes ? I. think be will find tbat the people of ' New Zealand, who used to buy Welsh flannel at 8s a yard, oan't afford to buy; Colonial flannel at lOd a yard, and the rolls of flannel remain piled up marked " Job " with big tickets, while tbe cotton flannel

is sellinp by hundreds and thousands of yards. You see woolten goods are pro* teoted. bat they have, not been.proteotsd j enough* You see we ' have only protected or cheapened flannels from Us a yard to 10d, while cotton flannel^ are offered* for sale iv New Zealand duty paid wholesale ac 1 1516 d a yard. When we protect woollen' goods down to this tbe people of New Zealand will go in for flannel. Tbe seller' may sti6k his price on the ticket, but the ibuyersmake' the price. The price of < Colonial - tweed trousers wholesale in ; London is 3a 9d pair; protection has cheapened, pro* duotion ; wool oan't go up while flannel and tweeds are , cheapened. What we want is proceotioti, protection rings,* and trade unions. Protection by whioh we can borrow more millions and pay 'the interest through the Customs. Protection, higher wages, and cheaper produciidns for - Working Man. ;