THE Southland Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. Luceo Non Uro. MONDAY. 12th AUGUST, 1895.

Southland Times, Issue 13285, 12 August 1895, Page 2

THE Southland Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. Luceo Non Uro. MONDAY. 12th AUGUST, 1895.

Closer examination of the tariff proposals in the Financial Statement confirm, and indeed intensify, the unfavourable opinions we have already expressed. The whole object ia to augment the revenue, and thia is sought to be done in the most objectionable and secret manner, opposed to all sound principles of taxation by piling the burden on the shoulders of those least able to bear it. The Treasurer is anything but ingenuous since he attempts to delude the country by pretending that his design, in what he terms “ the readjustment of the “ tariff,” has been “ to give reasonable H assistance to local industries without “ increasing the burdens of the peopl°.” He thus “ tickles the ears ” of the protectionists, who are numerically strong among the classes on which the Government rely for support. The new tariff rates show conclusively that all other considerations have been subsidiary to that of enlarging the receipts from the Customs—the very remissions proposed are of such a character, in the main, as to savour cf absurdity, and court rejection by the House. It may be noted that Mr Ward, in opening the debate on the Financial Statement, jumped, i( we may ao express it, at the

Idea of abandoning the reductions of the duty on tea by one penny, which was evidently intended as a eop to the work, ing classes, who have however had the sense to realise that it would afford them no relief whatever. He will be delighted, there is no question, to drop the remissions and reductions, which are merely the sugar coating of the pill be would force the country to swallow. It would have been far better we think if he bad declared outright that he wanted more revenue and must havejit; instead of endeavouring to make out that he was conferring a favour on the people by raising the prices of so many articles of common use and consumption, and thus materially increasing the cost of living, especially to the poor worker. The portion of the Financial State ment which deals with the Customs tariff is an example of special pleading, for which we should hardly have given the Treasurer credit. He commences by affirming that the present tariff is influenced by several considerations— Protection; remission in favour of manufacturers ; remissions in favour of the working classes ; revenue and extra taxation of luxuries, and he declares that there are here “all the elements of a complicated tariff, in which, anomalies cannot be avoided.” It might reasonably be supposed that bis proposals would simplify these complications, and tend to remove the anomalies, but there is the merest pretence of effecting this and, as a matter of fact, the complications are more involved and the anomalies more pronounced. He truckles to the protectionists by a scale of high duties upon articles which are, or are capable of being, manufactured in the colony, but takes remarkably good care that these duties shall not be prohibitive, letting the cat out of the bag by the self-evident proposition that “It is of the first importance that the “ revenue should be maintained,»nd were “ too high a duty to be placed on a “ particular article, it would, in some “ cases, have the effect of greatly dimin- “ isbing the revenue ”1 an admission of his real purposes which, we must presume, was made inadvertently. Practically the new tariff would afford no legitimate assistance to local industries, but simply put money into the pockets of certain classes of manufacturer?, by' enabling them to increase tbeir prices. proportionately to those of the imported articles. Several local industries, more over, would be most injuriously affected.

Boots and shoes, for instance, are not only rated 5 per cent higher than at present ; but the duties on imported materials for the industry are doubled, and in some instances trebled. Shirtmaking, which employs now a large number of women and girls, will be in a far worse plight than before, if not utterly crushed. Skirtings, flannelette, under-shirting, which have been hitherto on the free list,are rated at 20 per cent ad valorem. Cotton piece goods are raised from 10 to 20 per cent, and nearly every article of domestic use has from 5 to 10 per cent clapped on—from carpets down to the useful necessary broom. These are some items of the popular tariff of the extra-liberal Government I . . ,

The same principle is remorselessly carried out in regard to articles of food and diink. Under the plea of “a con- “ siderable shrinkage in the duties de- “ rived from the consumption of spirits “ and wines” which the Treasurer amusingly ascribes to the people becoming “progressively’temperate jin their “ habits,” he claps another shilling a gallon on spirits and sixpence on ale, beer and porter—the result of which undoubtedly will be deterioration in quality of the liquor supplied. Hmall fruits, hitherto free, are to be taxed one halfpenny per lb—which means prohibition ; since tbeir perishable nature renders, even without duty, their import infinitesimally remunerative. Potatoes and onions are to pay 20s per ton : so that if the local production should in any season tail, these indispensable artich s will be at famine prices, if attainable at all. nil the little condiments which the poorer classes especially use as a relish to their frugal meals—pickles, sauces, &c., are rated considerably higher than at present: stationeiy is raised from 15 to 25 per cent, and millinery from 20 to 25 per cent. The agricultural industry receives special attention, which it could well dispense with, by a duty of 20 per cent upon traction engines, which means at least LlOO on the price of an engine. Mr Ward has not in this the excuse of acting on the recommendations of the Tariff Commission, it is purely his own idea, of which the rural electors will probably show their appreciation when they have the opportunity of doing so effectively. With regard to the remissions and reductions of duties hitherto levied, which, according to the Treasurer’s estimate, would entail a loss of L 45.000 to the revenue, we unhesitatingly assert that it would simply be a throwing away of money without any real benefit to the people at large. One penny per pound on bulk tea would not affect the price to the consumer, but merely advantages the retailer who puts up tea in packets for sale, judiciously blending the high class with the low class article; he is also to have his tea-packing lead duty free. Mr Ward made much of this remission in the Statement. “To “ those who are in favour of a reduction “of the duty on the necessaries of life, “ the fact will be welcomed that I have

been able to see my way to reduce the

“ duty upon bulk tea one penny per “ pound.” This is an illustration of the old fable—the mountain in labour—the result ,a ridiculous little mouse ’ The duty on rice is reduced from 6s to 4s per cwt, for which John Chinaman and other Asiatics will be duly thankful ; the article is not one of common consumption by our working classes, and here again is a throwing away of revenue. 3 he removal of the duties from machinery and materials used in local manufactures; certain implements of labour, wool packs, jute bagging and other similar article.’, is to be commended, but by no means redeems the mischievous character of the tariff as a whole. As illustrating the method by which an effort is being made to increase the revenue and yet to conceal the fact, it is notable that iroman increase on carpets and floorcloths of five per cent only, an addition of 13000 to the revenue is anticipated. Mow, every one knows that these goods, especially carpets, are of slow sale—a dead line—as drapers call them. In that case the estimate may be approximately correct, But take

the division of goods embraced under the description of union shirtings, lace,.forfare, dowlas, flax shirtings and millinery. Seven-eighths of these articles were duty free before, most of them are in universal and constant demand and must be had —there are for many no substitutes ; the buyer has no alternative. These are now rated at 20 per cent, and yet the increase from these indispensable commodities is put down at the same modest 'estimate 0f.13000 1 From enquiries made we have no hesitation in asserting that from L 20,000 to L 25,000 would be really nearer the mark. Again, on flannelettes, cotton piece goods] etc, the enhanced revenue is put down at LBOOO. A fair estimate of what Invercargill alone, from the known consumpt of these classes of good?, would provide would be LlOOO ; the four large towns of the colony should average at least four tiroes as much each, which would give Ll6,ooo—double the Treasurer’s estimate, with all the other towns of the colony left out of the reckoning, and it could hardly be considered an extravagant idea f to suppose that |] among .t them they would contribute nearly an equal sum. Let the workers note that a very large proportion of these enormous increases upon the necessaries of life—clothing being as indispensable as food—comes out. of their pocket?, for they are the probable outcome of imposts upon goods | they must buy to the extent of their necessities and their resources. Nor will any season of the year help them to evade the burdens p’aced upon their shoulders by “ the people’s Government.” Good care has been taken that the drain upon their scanty store shall be kept up in all seaaons. When winter is over and gone and the necessity for flannelettes is not ro argent, prints, essentially the drees of the poor, come into vogue, and through these and such like commodities the Government, through the Customs, will still appropriate five shillings or so of every pound sterling the poor man spends on family apparel. Of course an immensely exceeded estimate would come in exceedingly'handy in two ways ; first, simply as money for the purpose) of the Treasury ; and secondly, as a proof of the prosperity of the people ; a proof about as substantial as that cited for their .having become “ progressively temperate.”