SIR JULIUS VOGEL ON PROTECTION.

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVII, Issue 7947, 2 December 1886, Page 6

SIR JULIUS VOGEL ON PROTECTION.

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 Julias prefaced his remarks by saying that he 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, 11 o was not at all certain that ho should have a sympathetic audience, because it might be that he was not able to go so far in the direction of Protection as the Association. He would not call himself a thorough-going Protectionist, becansa he gave weight to the arguments of tho 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 forgot was the question of retaining or losing its population. The burdens already undertaken we™ fiouo with the conviction that they would be shared in by a much larger number of persons than those who took the responsibility of inearring them- He denied, Now 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. It very country should adopt views applicable to its own peculiar requirements, and it must not be supposed that in those countries which had adopted Protection the intelligence of the Anglo-Saxon race had degenerated because the example of Groat Britain had not been followed. In considering the meaning of the Protection it should be borne in that press telegrams were protected, inasmuch as for these messages only 6d per hundred words was charged, which did not pay the operator. Other forms of Protection to thc pnblio were in our system of free education, and the railways, the rates for which were so low that they were not worked at a profit or as a commercial undertaking. Although it seemed a paradox, a high rate of wages led pot only to more excellent work, bnttooheaper 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 tfeo ad valorem duties would yield less because the value of imports was smaller than it bad been for years past. A gentleman who h*d 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 l»im jSir Julius) a matter for surprise, beoausa wo had imported into this Colony the artizans and it was a misfortune that we' were unable to retain in our midst the flower of our population. Canada and Victoria had shown this Colony the wisdom of adopting a Protection system. It would be seen from wbat he had said that he did not consider that Freetrade doctrines wore sound for this Colony, or that it was desirable that they should proaegid too hastily in at onoe 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 market. Although the railway rates did not pay, he would prefer seeing the Customs duties raised and lower rates charged on the 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 Julias for his address.