THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1857.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIV, Issue 8928, 17 December 1887, Page 4

THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1857.

rHE meeting of tariff revisers in Wyndham-atreet on Thursday night vas one of the most singular gatherings ire have had in Auckland for some ;ime. The purpose of these men associating was in order to force the Government to reviso the tariff this

session in the interests of Protection, but that could not be discovered from what was said and done on Thursday night. As all our readers know, a strenuous effort was made just after the present Government came into office to oust them because they declined to pledge themselves to revise the tariff in the interests of Protection this session. With this effort the Auckland Industrial Association heartily sympathised, the motive power being the defeated candidates and their friends in the electorates of those members who declined to stop the work of retrenchment by throwing out the present Ministers and reinstating Sir Julius Vogel. We defended those members whose action was quite consistent with their pledges. We did so the more readily because we saw that the tariff altera*' tions which the Southern Protectionists desired to make were in many cases such as would have been unfavourable to us in the North, and because the leaders of the Wyndbam-street movement have never had the courage to produce such a tariff as they desire, and which could be discussed on its merits. They were simply content to follow the lead of that preposterous member Mr. Moss, who, notwithstanding his pledges, would have been glad to have reinstated Sir Julius Vogel and Sir Robert Stout, because perhaps there was a chance for a portfolio for him there, and because it would have been quite certain in that case that the honorarium would not have been reduced.

The meeting, it must be acknowledged, had in its proceedings a great deal more of reality and truth than could fairly be expected. The first speaker moved a resolution proposing that the session of Parliament should be continued, with a short interval at Christmas, " until the question of encouragement to our local industries has been dealt with." This, in all probability, would provide for the continuous sitting of the House till Christmas, 1888. Would that delight any person 1 except Fish, and Seddon, and Moss ? If the Government are to deal with the tariff they must have time to consider how all the different industries will be affected, and how the different interests are to be adjusted. They could not possibly construct a new tariff while the House is sitting. If Mr. H. Holloway insists upon the House sitting, then the Ministry would not be able to consider the tariff question, even within the time to which they • have now pledged themselves. Of course, Sir Julius would pledge himself to anything to get office. The success of the Wyndham-street party would be the ruin of the colony. These people must recollect that there are many dangers and difficulties in the course they recommend. Mr. Monk, who was prepared to go a long way with them, was frightened when he saw that the most likely changes to be made in the event of an alteration of the tariff would be to the serious discouragement of the industries of the North. Are the Wyndham-street people prepared to forward such a change as that 1 Then they must remember that a number of people think they are all wrong in their views, and it is quite possible that, if the tariff question were fully opened up, changes would be made quite opposed to their notions, But, looking at the speeches made, one would not think that the meeting of Thursday was one of friends of a Protection tariff at all. The first speaker referred to the blessing that the gumfields had been . to Auckland. No doubt, this is a "native industry" which should be encouraged ; but the speaker did not attempt to show how putting on additional Customs duties, and so increasing the prices of articles, would benefit the gumdigger. The price of the article he produces is fixed by the markets of London and New York. No "Protection" can do him anything but harm. Mr. Jury said his trade was not protected, and asked in vain the question, "If one trade was protected, why not others 1" Then a resolution was proposed by Mr. Shepherd, in which we heartily concur, "That the Government be asked to give every facility in assisting the development of the mining industry." That is another native industry. But in the name of all that is reasonable, what has encouragement to gumdigging or goldmining to do with a revision of the tariff? Suppose the Parliament were to Bit straight on for a twelve month, and that we were patiently to endure till then all that blatant talk and waste of time and money involved, for the mere purpose of revising the tariff, how could the gumdiggers or goldminers be benefited? We could see a way of benefitting these industries by knocking off a lot of vexatious duties which increase prices, but which do not benefit the revenue, or encourage any industry, but that is not what the clique in Wyndham-street want to do. Mr. Shepherd said that the miners had been heavily taxed, and the statement is true. Let him

endeavour to get his friends of the Industrial Association to join him in lightening that taxation, and we shall be proud to be their friend, and to aid in every way. To hurry on that consummation we should be inclined to accept another three months of Parliament. Mr. S. Yaile and Mr. John' Brown followed in the same strain, each proposing a scheme by which the Government could assist the goldfields. The next speaker abused the Herald, but said nothing about tariff re? vision. He was enthusiastic about land nationalisation or a land tax, and we suppose we must conclude that these J Jirfl planks in the platform of the , Wyndham-streefc Association. Surely < it is imperative that a political associa- i ion should tell us what they want, but this they have never done. It is quite clear that the tariff cannot be touched this session. Sir Julius Vogel has far more explicitly committed himself against Protection than Major Atkinson, and yet, somehow or other, the Wyndham-street Association would act so as to place Sir Julius in office. The inference is, that the Association exists less for the purpose of securing Protection than of working other political ends, and of forwarding the interests of candidates who were defeated at last election.