CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

Marlborough Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 20932, 25 May 1887, Page 2

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

THE TARIFF QUESTION,

A meeting of the Blenheim Chamber of Commoreo was held in the Borqugb Council Ohniqboy on Monday evening. The members present wero Messrs Horton (chairman), Griffiths (secretary), Earl!, Falconer, Furness, It. H, Smalo, Douslin, W. Earp, AV. Litchfield, T, Smale, Maealister, Augustus, J. J. Sinclair, and Nosworthy. ATr H. Dodson, M.11.it,, arrived a few minutes after the meeting began. Beforo his arrival there was somo discussion on the advisableness of amending rule 11), and Mr AV. Litchfield moved that it be altered in such a manner as to allow of tho general meetings of fho Ohaiuboii being held every month instoac]. of every quarter. Tho motion was seconded by Mr- Douslin but tho discussion was postponed on Mr Dodson’s arrival.

Mr Dodson said that he felt somo perplexity with respect to somo of the,items in the proposed new tariff, and he thought it well to have a consultation with ihe Chamber. He was quite aware of the difficulty of the question between protection and free trade. Many people thougfic that a system of protection would suit New Zealand, but, op tip) other hand, many thought that as we were an exporting country protection would be disastrous to us. For himself he was of the opinion that the proposed tariff would ho entirely disastrous, and burdonsomo to consumers of many articles, and that it pressed where it ought not to press, ’ increasing tho prices of the necessaries of life. He thought he was acting wisely in conferring with the Chamber, in. order to have a quiet talk over the various items, and And out ;ho opinion of the greatest number. In a paper drawn by tlie Colonial Treasurer he estimated the increased revenue from the new tariff at bid the ajpopnt to be received would be very much larger. The Treasurer was not anxious to show th“ whole amount; he wished to let the country think that there would be less revenue raised by Ll 00,000 than really would be raised. The tariff had been unfavourably received bv the House of Representatives, who

would not accept it unless their constituents expressed a wish for it. Many of them had now gone home, and would have the opportunity of finding out what their constituents wished. Ho condemned the income tax on civil servants, and believed that, as before, the money would be given back to them. It was not right to put a special tax on any spocial persons. If the salaries woro too large they should be reduced. Such proposals kept the civil sorvico in a state of confusion. The incroaso of' property tax was a mero trifling -with a big question, and tho calculations and arrangements of the Treasurer did not commend themselves to common sense. There was a general feeling among inombors that thero must bo increased taxation, but that the proposed tax would prove oppressive. Tho position, irnleod, -was sufficiently serious, but there was nothing to frighten people if they met it fairly, and cut their coat according to their cloth. There was no cortainty of tho present Government standing. Tho llouso and tho country seemed to have lost faith that they were tho right men. 110 did not think that the present Treasurer was tho man to effect tho necessary savings in tho public service. Ho did not think that tho tariff would become loss, and an appeal to the country would be necessary to find out if there were not men who would carry out the reductions and savings that were necessary.

Mr Litchfield ashed if the amendment to the tariff wonld he carried. Mr Dodson did not think fhat tho House would over got so far as to consider the tariff. The Chairman asked if it would not be well for the Chamber to give its opinion on the political tendency of tho tariff. He had been struck with a remark made by tho Colonial Treasurer that the object of tho tariff was to raise revenue, hut no one could help seeing that it was for protection. Such a tariff must ho insincere on one side or the other. If protective it would not produce rovenuo greatly, and as it produced revenue it woidd fail to ho protective. 110 thought it woiqd be well for the Chamber to express its opinion of the proposed changes in the tariff.

Mr Dodson thought that was the host way of proceeding. Other Chambers of Commerce had considered tho question and with one or two exceptions had condemned tho proposals of tho Government. Mr Macalister asked how tho revenue was to ho made up if Customs duties were not increased ? Mr Dodson said that his answer would be to do away with some of the education expenditure, but Parliament woidd pot accept such q, proposal, There wore several reductions that might he made, many votes that might be done away with. For instance, there was the Defence vote, or some of it, Init not so far as it concerned the Volunteers. 110 thought the best plan would ho to take LI 00,000 off the Education votes and to charge school fees, hut Sir Kobert Stout was a member of the Government and that would not bo done so long ns ho was. If those two or three things wero done there would be no occasion for increased Customs (juties. The Property Tax also which was lowered by Sir Julius Vogel might be raised. Mr Macalister asked whether the line of exemption from Property Tax should not ho roducod.

Mr Dodson thought it ought to be roducod to L‘2so. 110 would ask the Chamber to state whether it would support freo trade as in New South Wales or protection as in Victoria,

Mr Macalistor suggested that there should fie some delay and j.lioy ('.(add telegraph to Mr DodSjon. Ho would like some further information. Mr Litchfield said that there were a groat many articles in the tariff that might hoar increased duty, but there were others of which he could not say so much. Mr Earll moved—That the proposed alteration in the Customs tariff is wrong in principle inasmuch as it appoars that the larger portion of the intended increases of fluty are evidently with a view to protection, while, in the opinion of this Chamber, the interests of the Colony demand that the public expenditure be reduced rather than that the present burdens of the taxpayers be increased. He had never been in favour of protection. The mass of the proposed duties would fall on the working classes. Tie agreed with Mr Dodson that the jjduqatiqn expenses might bo reduced. The higher classes ought to pay for their own education. Mr Litchfield did not agree witd Mr Earll that working men would pay more than their shore of the prodosod Customs duties. Part of the clothing commonly worn by working men Had been for some years admitted free, while goods of another class had paid 15 per cent, fj'lip proposal] <]uties were higher op the’better classes of goods than (in the poorer. He thought that as the juice of sugar was so low a tax on it would not be very burdensome. On the whole he thought the tariff a very fair <me and that the time had come when some such i no should ho passed.

Mr R. H. Smale seconded Mr Earll’s motion. He said that Mr Dodson had* hit the nail on tne head when he said that it was far better to reduce expenditure than to increase taxation.

Mr Macalister thought that the time had come when the Customs duties should ho increased.

Mr Douslin ran through the items of tho proposed tariff, generally approving of them. Mr Macalister moved, as an amendmeni to Mr Earll’s motion— That the proposals to alter tho tariff submitted by the Colonial Treasurer appear to this Chamber to tend more towards protection than tho interests of the Colony at present require. Mr Douslin seconded the amendment. Mr Earll withdrew his motion in favor of it. The amendment was then carried without dissent.

The motion for the alteration of rule 19, which had been put at tbo beginning of tho meeting, was then carried. Mr Litchfield asked what was the position of affairs respecting tho Dashwood Pass contract. Mr Dodson said that ho had been unablo to get any special information from the Minister of Public Works. All he had to say was that tho work was progressing as fast as similor works in other parts of tho Colony, such as tho Otago Central Railway. It was to have duo consideration in the next Public Works Statement. He had lost all confidence in tho present Minister for Public Works. Tho Chairman said that tho contract had been let seven years ago, and that the work had gone on at the rate of a mile a year. Before one section was completed tho last one was pretty well levelled again. By tho time they got to tho Awatere they would liavo only tho last section left undestroyod.

Mr Dodson said that there was pretty sure to be such a change of Government in a few days as would settle this question one way or another. Mr Macalister asked if the lenience shown to the present contractors had any effect in deterring the Government from letting further contracts.

Mr Dodson said it was true .to a certain extent. The Government had made nse of this as an excuse. The Government had kept interfering with the contractors and hampering them, and then said that tho work was not going on fast enough. That was a trick of tho present Public Works Minister. In reply to Mr Douslin Mr Dodson said‘that no Government would allow a railway bridge to be used as a cart bridge at any place so near a railway station as tho Omalca railway bridge. The facilities offered by Government wero not unreasonable. They gave the money for five per cent, which covered interest, and provided a sinking fund paying the debt off eventually.

On the motion of tho Chairman a vote of thanks was accorded to Mr Dodson for his attendance at tho meeting.