THE New Zealand Herald. AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. FRIDAY, AUGUST 24, 1894.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 9598, 24 August 1894, Page 4

THE New Zealand Herald. AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. FRIDAY, AUGUST 24, 1894.

" What next ? what next! ; ' will most assuredly be the exclamation of every man of sense when lie reads the declaration of the Colonial Treasurer about a duty on wheat and flour. Representations having been made to him that large importations of wheat and flour are being made into the colony from Australia, he has indicated that " in the interests of New Zealand farmers the duty on these articles will be increased without delay." Observe one thing before proceeding further. The Colonial Treasurer is not going to make proposals to Parliament for such duties on wheat and flour as shall exclude Australian • grown food - stuffs. He simply says that "the duties on thsse articles will be increased without delay." In a Parliament composed for the most part of men who call themselves Liberals, of men who pride themselves on representing directly "labour," and who legislate by the people, for the people, and so forth, the Ministry has only to say the word, and a tax will be put on the food of the people in the interests of the landowners. And yet those who would do this are never tired of calling their opponents "the Tory party." If there ever was anything distinctly appropriate in recent history to the Tory party, which marked it off from all other political parties in the State, it was adherence to the cornlaws. What distinguished the Liberals from the first, was their opposition to these taxes on the food of the people. And now here we have the Liberals" wanting to impose a food tax, which will be resisted by " the Tories." This proposal to put a prohibitive tax on breadstuffs,eoming from Australia is most absurd in any way it is looked at. Our harvest this year has been much under the average, causing a lesser supply at this particular time, and leaving an opening for importations from Australia. But that is only a temporary state of matters, because as a rule we are large exporters of breadstuffs. As a matter of fact, we have for a number of years sent large quantities of agricultural produce to Australia. At one time, a few years ago, when there had been a drought in Australia, we had quite a boom in exporting produce to the Australian colonies. We were exceedingly disappointed when New South Wales placed duties on some of the articles we were accustomed to send to that colony, and we have been rejoiced at the prospect of a more active commerce under the tariff changes proposed by the Reid Ministry. But if we increase our tariff for the express purpose of keeping out any produce that may come in on occasion from the Australian colonies, are the Australian colonies likely to change their tariffs so as to be of any advantage to us 1 No change which the Government could make would be of any benefit to our farmers. Generally we have a surplus of breadstuffs, so that a high tariff on articles of that class would be a mere hindrance to advantageous commerce with other colonies. Besides, what a ridiculous farce it is to profess to be anxious about landowners and farmers when taxes are being piled upon them, and when heavy duties are levied upon machines and implements used in husbandry !..;....• There is no doubt, however, that the placing of a duty on breadstuff's at the

present time, when we have ho stock of these articles, would result in raising the price of the loaf. Advantage will very quickly be taken of an oppor tunity that way- We wonder whether this would add to the popularity of the Government with the working matt. That individual has been exceedingly patient with the Seddon Ministry, and perhaps he would be willing to pay a higher price for the necessaries of life.