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Taranaki Herald, Volume XL, Issue 8982, 15 January 1891, Page 2

The Taranaki Herald. PUBLISHED DAILY. THURSDAY, JANUARY 15, 1891.

The protection policy adopted by the House in 1888 has not produced the result expected of it. According to a return laid on the table of the House last session, and only recently come to' hand, embracing a comparison of the Customs duties collectsd during. 1887 and 1889, the result ' has certainly not realisea tiie expectation of those who sup* port the increase. . It was a great mistake putting a duty on machinery, for it tends tojprerent industries being started in New Zealand. In 1887 engines, boilers, spinning "and wearing,* wool ana hay pressing, sawmill, and flourmills, machinery were admitted free, but n0w.20 per cent duty is placed on those articles ; evidently stopping their importation. The amounts obtained were, trifling, and it was not worth while loading the industry of the Colony for them. The 20 per cent, on sawmill machinery returned, in all, £29 ; while on wool and hay pressing machinery £6 was realised. On spinning and weaving machinery £450 war obtained. Nobody here , would think of commencing the manufacture of such machinery, and that £450 was dear money to the Treasury. The 20 par cent, was simply a penalty on entering on any spinning and, weaving industry. -On onrnuges and carts there was an increase in the duty from 15 to 20 per cent. ; but the whole- increase in the amount obtained by the revenue was £8. In 1887 cheese was admitted free ; in 1889 a duty of 20 per cent, was piaced upon it, but all we got was £7. The duty on drapery was increased from 16 to 20 Sir cent., and yet we lost £46,066. n reaper and binder twine there has been a duty of 15. per cent, for some years, and when the last" change was made in the tariff no increase, was made on this item ;, yet in 1889, as compared with 1887, there' was a* decrease in the Customs duty received of £629, showing that the local* manufacture .must have, increased, although- the duty was > not raised, as with almost everything else, BuVtha most marked falling offinthe" revenue is that raised on spirits. When this diminution is noticed in other articles the ory i« that the difference is accounted for by the erifttJQß pf an iodmfcry within

the colony, and that so tho country has gained. But no manufacture -of spirits has been created, or at leastf none was meant to be created. In 1887 brandy was taxed at 14s 6d per gallon ; in 1889 the duty was 15s and 16s ; and yet on this ■ item the lost £15,913. On Geneva the duty was similarly raised, and yet we lost £15,367. On whisky we lost | £11,801. How is this to be accounted ! for ? Not, certainly, by diminished consumption. There could be no such sudden fall as that. There is no solution of £he- problem except by supposing the creation of smuggling and illicit distillation by the high rate of duty. The raising of the tariff means an increase in the coßt. of living and a restriction in carrying on the staple industries of the colony. All this tends to create an unhealthy state of existence, for it is a premium offered to fraud. No country is so prosperous; no people so contented, as where the laws are few and taxes light. We have, however, had .created for us luxuries, which we nowfeel are necessities and we cannot do without, and consequently have to pay for; but we are sure there are better ways of raising the revenue than a high tariff through the Customs House.