FISCAL WARFARE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11950, 25 January 1901, Page 3

FISCAL WARFARE.

TO THE EDITOR. Sib, —Fiscal and physical are synonymous for illustration. Great Britain lives by Bending out coal and manufactured goods and "by bringing in raw material and food; New Zealand lives by sending out raw material and food and bringing in machinery and materials to enable it to produce this raw material for the markets of the world as cheaply as its competitors. These competitors are from all nations; hence this grinding and greediness for gain or profit. Japan has an overflowing population, which is highly educational in the technical arts, tlu's being one of its cherished attributes. Their surplus men and women are desirous of emigrating. What power on earth can stop them? International comity does not allow the unoccupied and uncultivated lands of tho world to remain so, no matter whose flag flies over them. The Japanese politicians.'desire that their nation shall becomo a. world power, and with this end in view they are willing to use the national resources in developing over-sea commerce and in securing over-sea possessions.

New Zealand, too, is desirous of developing an over-sea commerce, but can she compete in the East, towards which her producers naturally look for expansion? Our ports, are closed to Asiatic aliens, as highly cultivated as ourselves, yet we expect to barter commodities. Academical reasoning, with its accompanying statutory enactments, is all very well; but our politicians should not shut their eyes to any of the facts which bolong to the producers' position. The exporter cannot bo protected. If he does not meet tho cheap worker here he will have to meet him on the other side of the world. Thousands of. Japaneao are about swarming to Argentina, and tho other producing countries in South America, who are also our successful competitors todav in the world's markets, and' whore they will be thousands of milas nearer in over-sea carriage. This being 10, it is almost beyond the wit of man to aid the producor in securing any expansion without some modified labour restrictions. When, will politicians understand this fiscal warfare, and, further, learn that while England lives on imports New Zealand lives on exports?—l am. etc., P.M. P.S.—Prohibiting kanaka labour from workinir in North Queensland hampers tho producer in getting to the markets of .tho world as cheaply as his. competitors.' Moreover, it enhances tho price of sugar to the consumer, and is provocativo of international diplomacy, because anyone who knows the country also knows it is absolutely impossible for whito labour to do the work with snr, rounding.? necessary and requisite for the .whito man.—F. M.