THE COLONIST. Published Daily-Mornings. Nelson, Tuesday, August 13, 1895. CHANGING THE TARIFF.

Colonist, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 8325, 13 August 1895, Page 2

THE COLONIST. Published Daily-Mornings. Nelson, Tuesday, August 13, 1895. CHANGING THE TARIFF.

When it was resolved by the Government to amend the Tariff, Ministers no doubt foresaw that they would have to face considerable opposition, but in the first place their desire, apparently, was to do little more than rectify anomolies, and therefore they may have imagined that their proposals would have called forth more praise than blame. But had the intention to merely make duties leviable more even one with another been closely adhered to, it has by this time become apparent that there still would have been raised a loud cry from all whose pockets were ever so slightly touched. One of the chief difficulties in respect to a protective tariff is the formulating of a system. We may desire to foster local production by placing such a duty on imported articles as to enable industries to be built up, and successful competition with outsiders to be carried on, but it is next to impossible for any man to define what ought and what ought not to be taxed in order to accomplish such an object. In regard to manu'actured goods it is in many cases necessary that some raw material or certain made goods shall be im-

ported as cheaply as possible, or the finished article cannot be produced at a price to compete. Thus it becomes desirable that goods of certain size or quality should be admitted free, and that like goods of different shape should pay duty. Here at once jig an apparent anomaly, though the duty charged in one case forms a protection to those who gain a livelihood by working on the somewhat similar .goods admitted free of duty, and without the difference, which at first sight, would seem unaccountable a local industry might be wiped out of existence. We have stated so much to indicate how difficult it is to make changes, but for all that a time comes when some revision is necessary. With the aid of a Commission the task of rectifying inequalities and injustices ought not, perhaps, to have proved a very difficult pne> but naturally it is those pecuniarily interested whose views and desires are most fully represented when changes affecting them are mooted, as is indicated by the memorandum of dissent attached to the report of the Tariff Commission by Mr T. Mackenzie, to the effect that "the manufacturers and those having large interests to serve by influencing the Commission came before it, whilst the much larger class of consumers did not." But, in the fiscal proposals brought down by Mr Ward, the proposal to enter into commercial treaties with Canada and South Australia rendered a new departure necessary, for under these treaties the duty payable on certain imports will depend upon whence the imports come. An effort to get rid of inconsistencies in the old Tariff would have been a simple matter as compared with the task Mr Ward baa now set himself, for in addition to the tariff provisions necessitated by the proposed treaties, he has made material changes in the duties leviable. Those interested in the timber trade declare that (he facilities offered for the introduction of Canadian timber will resnlt in the closing of New Zealand mills, it being Baid that in Canada men work eleven hours a day with no half-holiday, and that Chinese cheap labor is also employed. It is also alleg. d that the fish canning industry in New Zealand will be killed. Then it is complained that the extra duty oa spirits, etc., will fall solely on the publicans, while the duty on flannelettes, nnions, etc., will throw numbers of women, who have gained a livelihood at shirtmak'ng, out of employment, and that the cost of boots and clothing will also be added to. Probably the effects of the new tariff have in some respects been overstated, but Customs duties should be imposed so as to affect consumers and not dealers, for if the object is protection, then consumption of foreign productions should be restricted by reason of the duties, while if a desire to obtain revenue is the sole purpose of the impost, the consumers and not the middlemen should be made to pay. It has been asserted that duty has been placed on flannelette in order to protect Colonial made flannels, but if that is so, protection in this instance appears to have been carried a little too far.

One effect of the present Tariff proposals has been to induce certain people to urge that the requirements of the industrial classes should be admitted free, but were the Government to grant the concessions thus asked for, the whole community would benefit in respect to having less to pay on what under existing circumstances are deemed to be necessaries. But, still would it be necessary to secure suffi - cient revenue to provide for all liabilities. Some may say that this might be got over by increasing the Land and Income tax, which would have to be paid by the more weathy. It might be so met no doubt, but those who fancy that any taxation is entirely met by those who in the first place are called upon to find the money are eggregiously at fault. Capital has a knack of looking after itself, and it also has the power. If then the whole burden of the State was placed on capital, at least a large portion of the weight would be transferred to labor. We find now that work is being found for the unemployed at five shillings a day, and less, and if employers are i so weighted by additional taxation that they are forced to reduce wages to the extent of one shilling a day, with the alternative of letting their capital remain idle, labor may Buffer even more than if the industrial classes contributed directly their share to general taxation.

Ward was released on his father's bail till Friday.