THE PROTECTION BANQUET.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9126, 7 August 1888, Page 5

THE PROTECTION BANQUET.

[by telegraph.SPEClAL correspondent.] Wellington, Monday. The Protection banquet takes place on Saturday evening next. The Times says on the subject:—" The whole of the Industrial Associations throughout the colony are combining to make it a success, and have forwarded, alike for exhibition and consumption at the banquet, a large variety of New Zealand food products and manufactures. Some misconception appears to have been created as to the object, of the banquet, and we are authorised to state that it is not intended in any sense as a Protection demonstration. The Industrial Associations who are promoting the banquet as a compliment to the Ministry and the Parliament as a whole, number amongst their members both Protectionists and Freetraders. As such they feel that as the battle of the tariff is over, all sections of the community should be prepared to loyally assist the development of the industries of the colony, and to join together at, the festive board to bury the irrita. tion arising out of the recent discussions on the Customs Duties Bill. The committee in charge of the arrangements have therefore, been instructed to specially invite the leading members of the Free trade and Protection parlies. We believe that everything in the shape of food and drink to be supplied at the banquet will be of New Zealand production or manufacture." The expectations held out by the above paragraph, as to. the Freetraders and Protectionists burying the hatchet don't seem likely to be realised, as in reply to the invitations given, the Freetrading members of the House, in meeting assembled to-day, passed the following resolution "That, in reply to the invitation conveyed through Mr. Bruce, the members of the Free trade party, while acknowledging the courtesy of the promoters of the proposed banquet, and expressing warm interest in such local industries as have grown up under sound economic conditions, are compelled to decline the invitation for the following ;;;' ~ ;, ', n Because the banquet cannot be regarded as other nia« ™ expressing satisfaction with the measures to which Freetraders have on public grounds been strenuously opposed ; (2) because the measures have been carried by means of a departure from the principles of party government, of which departure the Freetraders strongly disapprove ; (3) that the presence of the Freetraders would probably act as a damper on a gathering that they have no desire should be in a social sense unsuccessful." The invitations number quite a thousand, and provision for this number will be made at the Drill-shed, where the banquet is to be held.