THE POOR MAN'S BURDEN. (From our Own Correspondent.)

Otago Witness, Issue 2785, 31 July 1907, Page 18

THE POOR MAN'S BURDEN. (From our Own Correspondent.)

WELLINGTON, July 24. The tariff proposals of the Government came in for some criticism at the hands of Mr Massey in his speech last night. He referred to the fact that a duty was placed upon bicycles, machines which many working men used in connection with their daily work, whilst at the same time it was proposed to admit motor cars, a rich man's luxury, free of charge. "The rich man escapes : the poor man pays," he said ; " and this is a Liberal Government ! The Financial Statement says so, and what the Financial Statement says must be correct." He also referred to the duties proposed to be placed on boots and shoes. The duties on goods largely used by working people, he said, had been substantially increased. As instances, he quoted slippers usually sold at Is and Is 6d a pair, on which the duty had been increased to the extent of 41| per cent, and 2 per cent, respectively. On women's evening shoes (sold at 3s a pair) the increase was also 25 per cent. On, the other hand, he 6aid, the duty on the better class of shoes largely worn by the wives and daughters of well-to-do men had been decreased. There had also been a reduction on lace, which was more of a luxury than a necessity ; whilst on hosiery, which was largely used by all classes, there had been an increase. Then, again, the- interests of the rich man had been studied by the placing of ornamental tiles on the free list, whilst the poor man had to pay £2 a ton duty on his corrugated iron. Candles, the poor man's light, had also been advanoed, but billiard tables, which nobody could claim to be among the necessaries of life, had been reduced from 25 to 20 per cent. The abolition of the sugar duty might be claimed to be in the interests of the general consumer, but the result would probably be the turning out of work of the large number of hands employed at the refinery works at Auckland. The effect would" probably be that we should have our refining done in either Queensland or Fiji by black ! labour. j A Hon. Member: Why? Mr Massey : Because it can be done there more cheaply than here. Even the duty on tea eeems designed to help the rich man, who bought a large quantity at a time. The preferential hstf had been largely increased, Tiut this simply meant ail enhanced cost in the case of all articles which could not or were not manufactured in the British dominions. Dairy machinery was a case in point. By being placed on the preferential i list the price of it was being increased by 10 per oefit., seeing that most of it came

from the United States. Taking the tariff as a whole, he could not understand the principle upon which it had been framed. It was neither a Freetrade nor a Protectionist tariff. He could only come to the conclusion that it had been framed in the interests of the people who had influence with the Government.