Nelson Evening Mail SATURDAY, MARCH 30, 1895.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XXIX, Issue 75, 30 March 1895, Page 2

Nelson Evening Mail SATURDAY, MARCH 30, 1895.

The Tariff Commissioners will sit in the Provincial Hull on Moaday and Tuesday t; hear evidence and receive suggestion?. It is to be hoped that they will not be disappointed as they were at Westport, where nobody appeared before them. The Commissioners expressed their disappoiDtrnent that thepeopleofWestporthadnot taken advantage of their opportunities, which was only natural, as ii is hard on a Royal Coinmissu n when t.he Queens subjects do nothing to justify its existence. So far as we can ascertain the staff of the Commission consists cf a Secretary and a shorthand writer, but if the work were to be done properly several other officials would be necessary. Tho Commissioners ought to have in (heir service several interpreters. The opinions of the Maoris onght to be ascertained, and the Chinese play a considerable part in commerce in the colony, The Commissioners are working their way northward and in course of time they will roach the Auckland gnmficlds. A uumher of men working thore are sabj ;cts of tho Austrian Emperor. They chiefly come from Dalmatiii, a country in which thero are diversities of speech, and the Commissioners ought to have at their disposal interpreters capable of translating into English, German, Italian, and tho Slavonian tongue, which is the proper speech of the people. In Nelson, however, the incoinpletoneFß of tho Commission's stall will be no draw back. Wo can all speak English of a sort. Even the German settlers and their descendants can make themselves understood without any difficulty. According to the reports which have been telegraphed the evidenco and suggestions hitherto have been all of one character. If a man makes anything for sale he wishes to have a tremendously heavy duty placed on anything of the kind imported. At the same time he wishes all his materials to be duty-free, even though they may be manufactured articles wltfcb, wmNl be proilvwed in the ■

colony. So far asi we have seen no evidence has been given on belialf of one important industry. Not a single newspaper man has been examined. The country ia flooded with English papers to the great detriment of local industry. It was pointed out in Victoria the other day by a Tariff Commission, or something of the sort tlrit there must be various degrees of protection. Home industries could hold their own if protected by a ton per cent duty, whereas others required much more. The newspaper business is one of thoas which requires more and very much more. The ordinary English daily paper is sold for a penny and the weekly for sixpence, and to do any good to the industry iv the colony it would be necessary to impose a duty of several hundreds per cent. This colony is one where liberal views prevail aud the people want information of what goea on outside. In order that this waut should be supplied the newspapers in the colony ought to be allowed to receive papers lrom other countries without paying duty. The English illustrated papers have a wide circulation Jkto which should be curtailed, and tha oolonial press should be allowed to import stereotyped blocks without taxation, 'ibis would give an enormous stimulus to the Mew Zealand press, and we should not hear any more, as wehavedonelately, of swarms of printers seeking work iv vain. If this point is put before the Commissioners in Nelson their visit here will be of decided advantage to the colony. I here is another matter which specially relates to this town and district. Nelson produces a great number of girls, many of them good-looking young woman, and it is very hard to find husbands for tl.em. It is not an uncommon practice, though a highly unpatriotic one, for men to import their wives from Eagland, and we suggest that some of the ladies of the place should state the case to the Commissioners and show them the necessity of giving protection. We have been sorry to notice that generally speaking the Tariff Commission has not been regarded in a serious light, and regret that in other places the newspapers have not placed before the members practical work to do. Jn any case they have had a pleasant trip through the colony at the best season of the year.