THE HARVESTER TRUST.

Marlborough Express, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 250, 19 October 1905, Page 1

THE HARVESTER TRUST.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —We ask the courtesy of a very little space to suggest a procedure which, if adopted, would seem to settle the Harvester Trust question in a manner greatly to the advantage of New Zeadand. The crimes which we have been so federally condemned for are all yet to c committed, but scores of readers, from " Old Subscriber" to " Pro Bono Publico," know just what we are going to do, and having sat in judgment with due deliberation, have then donned the black cap, and not only sentenced us to that doom which we will no doubt so richly deserve (some time in the future), but als6 have appointed a day for the obsequies over our remains, and promised to take the children. It's far from our. purpose to appeal against the sentence of those who. in their eerie wisdom look a criminal through and through, and see at a glance not only the guilt already burdening his soul, but with equal facility foresee the crimes he is to commit next month and next year, but we do feel that we can perhaps make amends to some little extent for the heinous crimes that we seem foredained to commit by pointing out to our victims how easily they can save themselves. .

We are, it seems, soon to begin to scatter valuable goods about at prices ridiculously below their proper value, losing in so doing a few hundreds of thousands, which (if our critics are correct) are of little consequence to us. Now, we are quite aware that we are to do this with an evil purpose, but none the less it. appears obvious that, while we are doing so, we are conferring no small blessing 'on. the Colony of New Zealand—they are getting richer and we poorer so long as this phase of our iniquity lasts. : But then we are to put up prices to get back our losses, and a large profit beside. Right then, just when we start prices on the upward grade, would seem to be the physiological moment for New Zealand to deciaro a prohibitive tariff against our wares —200 per cent, if you like, thus compelling us to give up the trade to those struggling patriots who,,regardless of self-interest or the danger to their lungs are standing in the market place yelling bravely long before they or anyone else are hurt. In this way the farmers can stock up on implements at a mere tithe of their cost. The patriot local manufacturers would, after a short time, have the proud consciousness of haying saved their country, and incidently gained the right to charge whatever they chose for their wares, and we—biit what does it matter abont us—if we are going to be half as bad as our critics say we are, we don't even deserve our own sympathy, Yours, etc., INTERNATIONAL HARVESTER COMPANY OF AMERICA. J. D. BYWATER, Manager for New Zealand.