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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XXII, Issue 85, 12 April 1888, Page 3

To *B* E»i*ob 0? the " Evening Mail." Bib, — I xead with some interest, and not a little surprise, Mr H. A. Lerestam's letter la. Wednesday's Evbhing Mail, im which he says " S I know that certain commodities snoh as frain, woollens, slops, and certain kinds of boots hare been, under the fostering oare of Promotion, reduced in price." I should like to ask Mr Lerestam whether lie means to imply that this reduction in price is the result of Protection ? I should also like to ask Mr Lerestam why the manufacturer of ploughs should be protected when all that is necessary to make his products cheaper than their present prioe, whioh he calls "rateable" — a some- * what vague term by the way — is that they should be made in larger quantities. Is not this solely the business of the manufacturer of ploughs f Should he not before he starts in business see his way clear to make a sufficient number of ploughs to enable him to sell profitably at market prices? If I start growing wheat on a hundred acres of land, and find, after selling my first year's crop, that in order to make a profit I shall hare to farm on a larger scale, will the Protectionists oompel the people of NewZealand to pay me extra for the crop off my hundred acres, so that I may be in a position to produce more largely nezb year? I >. venture to think not ; but they will not hesitate to compel me to pay a little more fdt (my ploughs just to keep the manufacturer going until he ohooses to let them kxow that he no longer requires their protection. It would be interesting to know now long it would be necessary to keep on a .proteotire tariff to enable our manufacturers to produce in large enough quantities to compete successfully with the foreigners. Perhaps Mr Lerestam can tell us. . - I am, &c, Fbeetbadeb.