SIR JULIUS VOGEL ON PROTECTION.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 770, 3 December 1886, Page 23

SIR JULIUS VOGEL ON PROTECTION.

(united press association.) Dunedin, November 29.

An address was delivered in the Lyceum Hall this evening by Sir Julius Vogel, under the auspices of the recently-formed Protection League. Sir Julius prefaced his remarks by saving that ha was not going to make a political speech, but would give something in the way of an essay on an economical subject. Probably he would not have a sympathetic audience. There was no doubt that a majority of the Press in this Colony were in favor of Freetrade views. Although not a favorite with it, he wished to say that the Press throughout the Colony was distinguished by a great amount of ability and a large amount of enterprise. He was not at all certain that he should havo a sympathetic audience, because it might be that he wav not able to go so far in the direction of Protection as the Association. He would not call himself a thorough-going Protectionist, because he gave weight to the arguments o£ the Freetraders. They argued that it was of no consequence to a country adopting Freetrade whether or not it lost or retained its population. That was the fundamental principle running through their argument. He denied that, and held that the last thing the Colony could afford to forget was the question of retaining or losing its popnlation. The burdens already undertaken were done with the conviction that they would be shared in by a much larger number of persons than those who took the responsibility of incurring them. He denied that ;New South Wales was, strictly speaking, a Freetrade country, and hinted that in time to come it would figure as a distinguished country pledged to extreme Protection views. Every country should adopt views applicable to its own peculiar requirements, and it must not

be supposed that in those countries which lad adopted Protection the intelligence of •the Anglo-Saxon race had degenerated ■"because the example of Great Britain •lad not been followed. In conaider■ing the meaning of the _ term Protection it should be borne in mind that 3>ress telegrams were protected, inasmuch as dor these messages only 6d per hundred ■words was charged, whioh did not pay the -operator. Other forms of Protection to the public were in our system of free education, and the railways, the rates for which were 330 low that they were not worked at a profit -or as a commercial undertaking. Although Jit seemed a paradox, a high rate of wages led jnot only to more excellent work, but to cheaper work in the long run. The diminished revenue' was not due to local production, but to the diminished use of alcohol, and to the fact ■that the ad valorem duties would yield less because the value of imports was smaller than it had been for years past. A gentleman who had been appointed to report on the boots and shoes in the Colonial Exhibition had assured Dr Von Haast that those exhibits from New Zealand were the best in the Exhibition. That was not to him (Sir Julius) a matter for surprise, because we had imported into this Colony the artizans and it was a misfortune that we were unable to retain in our midst the dower of our population. Canada and Victoria had shown this Colony the . wisdom of adopting a Protection system. It would be seen from what he had said that he did not consider that Ereetrade doctrines were sound for this Colony, or that it was desirable that they should proceed too hastily an at once charging prohibitive duties. Local productions should be stimulated by a gradual increase of duties until they showed ■their fitness to have entire command of the Although the railway rates did not pay,, he would prefer seeing the Customs ■duties raised and lower rates charged on Ihe railways. He thanked the audience for “their kind reception on an essentially dry subject. (Cheers.) On the motion of Mr -Bracken, a hearty vote of thanks was accorded to Sir Julius for his address.