ESTABLISHED 1875. Manawatu Daily Times The Oldest Manawatu Journal. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. THURSDAY, DECEMBER, 19 1912 A MIXED RECEPTION.

Manawatu Times, Volume LXV, Issue 1802, 19 December 1912, Page 4

ESTABLISHED 1875. Manawatu Daily Times The Oldest Manawatu Journal. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. THURSDAY, DECEMBER, 19 1912 A MIXED RECEPTION.

Mb Bonar Law's Taiiff Reform pro petals do not appear to tiave created the best of impressions in England The excerpts from the Lone on papers, which were cabled \ eslerday, rather indicate that Tariff Reform has lost co side ably in popul rit*. Cuef criticism is directed at the Opposition Leader's desire to leave the details of a scheme to a conference of co oniai de eg-ttes Even the London Time?, one of th p.pera of the Lord Northcliffe syndicate (a group of journa's which so far have strenuously led public opinion a!ong thd line of 7 ariff Reform) r p oves the Opposition Leader for at tempting to shift the onus for food tax - tion in England on to a confer nee of Overs a= ministers. If th taxation, add the Times, \vas not desirable as a purely domestic lefotm, | then it was not desirable at all. This does not indicate, as we said yesterday, tnat Tariff Reform, viewed as an economic doctrine, has made great strides in public favour at Home. At best its advocates have sought to show, though very vaguely, that it will foster industry s and increase employment But all the solid arguments advanced in that direction have easily been overthrown, Some of the problems the tarift reformers have failed to tolve are: the discrimination between raw materials (which would have to come in free) and semi-manujactured goods; the prevention of the rise of food prices if taxes were put upon foreign imports of food; the prevention of interference with trade with England's greatest customer Germany, There are other great and equai!y difficult problems to solve, but these three have been brought most prominen ly before the British public. England, though the greatest manufacturing country in the world, draws enormously upon other countries for her raw material—leather, for instance, is imported in a semi-manufactured condition. If these imports of raw material were to be taxed, her industries would be ruined. The question has never been satisfactorily answeaed. Equal difficulty applies to the ma;ter of taxation on food stuffs, Explain as they will, the Tariff Reformers caunot show that a tax on food stuffs can be avoided. Mr Joseph Chamberlain's original proposals included a tax of 2s per bushel on corn, 5 per cent, on meat?, 5 per cent, on dairy produce, and an average of 10 per cent, on manufactures. It was his intention that- colonial food stuffs should remain untaxed, but his own Tariff Commission later decided that colonial food must be taxed. This of course could not be otherwise. One of the cardinal reasons for Tariff Reform is that the farming industry may be fostered, and this fostering could only beb ought about by placing an impost on foeign and colonial foods an import slightly lower in the case of the colonies l . But then came the difficulty. The poor could nod afford to pay the increased price of food. It wou!>i mean starvation to many. In another column of this issue we how how agricultural labourers in tfriiam eke out a bare existence. The Tariff' reformer is met with d fficulties at every turn. There is the absence of any material advantages to the colonies also to be taken imo consideration, and further, it is scarcely credible that the co'ontes would favour a so-called reform that w> uld inilict hardship upon the poorer classes of Britain. When the present Liberal Government proposed land reform - to introduce a land system such as the colonies have—their opponents said Tariff R-forms would encourage agriculture and send '.he labourer back to the land ; when they .ought to raise extra taxation by additional duties on b erf.nd spirits, drugs, etc , the Opposition said raise the money by '! ariff Reform : whenthy instituted r f cms for the amelioration of th" conditions of the starving millions, Mr Balfour cried Taritl' Reform. Tiie advocates of Tariff iitform have been crying their wares in the marketj place since 1903, and they are no further advanced They wanted a referen duin ; there was a possibility of getting it ; but even the onus of that responsibility they have now shirked, and the Oppositu a leadtr 1 a weakly suggested that the Colo..;os snould decide the matter for them. It is a poor display of statesmanship. '

A parade called at Millertou (Westland) of those liable for military training produced no response. The estimated wheat production of New South Wales is bushels, based on an average of 10'lt bushels per acre. Association. A very successful sale of -farming equipment, stock and household goods was held at. the Te Matai homestead of Mr S. ('. Jounneaux, Stoney Creek, yesterday. The sale was conducted by Mr Mouusey. There was : Inge attendance of buycis. Main < . ,lie lines were quitted at good prices. An advertisement giving in full detail the running of the trains during tht> Christmas holidays is inserted in this morning's issue. It will be seen that Palmerston in every respect will be very well served for trains.

The Manawatu Motor Cycle Club has decided to postpone its proposed Christmas tour to Auckland via Napier and the East Coast, owing to the difficulty among local riders of obtaining leave of absence. The run will probably be held later.

In the Athletic contests on the Sports Ground yesterday of the Manawatu Amateur Athletic Club the results were as follows:—100yds —First heat: D. Park (tih>) . H. Stratford (7%), 2; second heat: L. Kerr (11 yds) 1, J. Walsh (i)} a ) 2; linal: Kerr 1, Walsh 2, Park 3. 1000 yds—L. Kerr (70yds) 1, S. Paltridge (SAyds) 2, K. Tait- (fiOyds) 3. A committee meeting of the Manawatu Automobile Association was held last evening at which an amount of routine business was done and several new members were elected. It was decided to hold a special meeting of the committee on Monday next to go into the question of holding a gymkhana some time toward the end of February and arrange a programme. It was decided to support the Motor Cycle Club's sports in aid of the Palmerston Band on January 22, and enter for the motor car events. In the bill climb for motorists on Saturday last the results were as follows:—Trade class—E. S. Pees 1, G. H. Bycroft 2, R. Jones 3; private owners' class—E. Irwin 1, W. Day 2, A. Lund 8. In the private owners' class the first attempt to climb the hill at a slow pace was unsuccessful, consequently a second trial has to be given. The trial was for flexibility, the object being to prove to members that there was no need to rush a hill in order to climb it. The Manawatu Motor Cycle Club will bold a sports meeting on January 22. It has been decided to run 9 events which will include 15 and 10 miles contests for Manawatu championships. Three motor car events will also be run. They will include tilting at the ring, and speed-judg-ing. A number of trophies have been already offered. Half the profits will go to the Palmerston North Band.

Concerning the explosion at the Addington railway workshops on Saturday, a wornout steamhammer was being broken up into sizes convenient for smelting. A charge of gelignite that was being used was apparently too big, for the explosion hurled chunks of iron in all directions. One weighing Gib damaged the verandah of a residence n ar by. Other pieces struck the roofs of houses in the vicinitv.

A visitor from the Gisborne district, referring to the system of party telephones, gives the following account of Gisborne's extensive telephone service:—There is hardly a Maori wliare, to say nothing of the settlers' homes, for many miles from the Gisborne township but that lias telephonic communication. What the system has done for the district is shown by its flourishing state, and that the system is valued" by the settlers is evidenced bv the fact that every new house is considered incomplete without the 'phone. There are hundreds of miles of private wires in every direction. Oue batch of settlers had the 'phone put into the band room, and by arrangement. were linked up on band practice nights, so that, although twenty miles distant, they were able to sit and listen to the music.

It is well knowu amongst officials of charitable institutions that miners have a sense of independence and honesty of rare quality, says the Southland News. Years ago a digger of the Waikaia district, who was then in straitened circumstances, fell ill, and was for some time an inmate of the Southland Hospital. A balance of £2 remained unpaid on his hospital accouut, and at his request the Trust, as it then was, wiped the amount off the books. Recently the old fellow died, and, having prospered in the intervening years, he was able to leave an estate worth about £3OOO. The lteneficiary under the will, another old Waikaia digger, in going through the deceased's papers, came across the Trust's communication, acceding to the request that the £2 be wiped off. He at once instituted enquiries, and finding that the amount had never been paid, sent a cheque in satisfaction thereof.

A minor explosion in a street gas lamp, loud enough to resemble the muffled boom of the dynamiting of a safe, alarmed two Napier business men on Sunday afternoon. A safecracking exploit in the preceding week had caused them both to enter their business premises 011 Sunday atfernoon to see that all was right, and this encroachment on the Sabbath nearly led to a tragedy. Tradesman No. J, hearing the muffled explosion, thought it had occurred in the building of tradesman No. and hastened thither; while tradesman No. 2, equally on the alert, remained inside waiting developments with a loaded revolver. The result was that while the man outside was peering into a window looking for the burglar, the man inside was ready to shoot as soon as entry was attempted. The decision of the former to call the police, rather than enter on his own account, probably saved his life. As he stepped into the light he was recognised by the watcher within, and mutual explanations followed. The smartly dressed woman shops at the Bon Marche for her millinery, because she finds there the millinery of the moment, the millinery which she will appreciate, with that artistic touch and finish tor which we ai -, j justly famous. All our millinery is marked in plain figures, and the prices are inexpensive. Call to-dav, and set 1 these hats. —(\ M. Ross and Co.

"X.MAS CAKES. CHOCOLATES. TOYS (filled with sweet-) Li'sa.sV, Ltd., Palmerbton Noj th.

Ladies of Masterton have donated a valuable trophy for the exhibitor who gains the most points in the decorated classes at the Palmerston Sweet Pea Show. The Society is prepared to receive entries for exhibits up to 7 o'clock to-night.

The erection of proper fire alarms at suitable places about Palmerston streets is recommended by Inspector Hugo, of Wellington. The matter is being considered by the Palmerston Fire Hoard. The annual meeting of the Palmerston North .Amateur Swiminuig Club will be held to-night at J.M o'clock at Mr Duncalf's shop.