DUTY ON TEA AND SUGAR.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XL, Issue 9124, 3 July 1891, Page 2

DUTY ON TEA AND SUGAR.

During the discussion on Mr Fisher's ' motion on the Custom Tariff Mr E. M. Smith spoke at some length. The following report of his speech we take from the Hansard :—

MrE.M. Smith said when I hear or • read of members of Parliament and statesmen dangling this question of tea and sugar before the eyes of the working-men of this colony I think it is highly amusing. During one of the elections this increase on the duty on tea was proposed, and when I stated I was in favour of an increase in the duty uppn tea and sugar I thought that the working men would not vote for me ; but, anyhow, I was able to convince them — being a working man myself -by means of apt illustration, of the fallacy of this tea and sugar business. . Now, take my case. There are myself and my good lady. That makes two.

Hon. Member : No ; only one. Mr E. M. Smith: For these purposes we count as two- Then there are my i eight boys, and my four girls, making [.fourteen of us in all. Now, the tax is 6rl j, per pound ; if we use 21b per week, that i will be als ; divide that by 14, it will be less than Id each week ; and yet these honourable members come here and say it is a great oppression upon the working-men to have •to pay this duty on tea and sugar. I say, on the contrary, , it is a fair way of raising taxes in this country, because the pooiv man and the ,rich man are equally consuirers of tea and sugar; and this is a tax that reaches all classes alike. ' , Tho ques-ipn is not so much that of giving the, working-men a free breakfast-table ns bf giving them the j means of getting a breakfast at all. At this early stage bf the sespion it is wrong I to interfere, with the policy of the Government by- raising in this way, the question of the incidence of taxation. We should leave that to the Government ; and when the proper time coni6B we shall have ample opportunity of discussing the whole matter fairly, openly, and at the fullest length! I say tli&t the mover of this resolution is taking this action not so- much with the view that he is doing any good to the country, or conferring any benefit on the .working man, but as showing that he has gone over to the Opposition ; 4ie is 1 taking the earliest opportunity of making that evident. I am quite certain that the working men of the colony have long since become aware of the fact thatlegislation is proposed in the .direction of altering ,the incidence of taxation, , and that they are not afraid of paying these, .taxes when they are fairly imposed all jround. , Now, as for the prosperity of, the country, it depends, as I have already said, upon tlie way in which you shall impose tho taxation, and it does not matter on which 'side of the House men get up here and make statements on this matter, there is only one way of decreasing taxation. No change in the incidence of taxation will conduce to that result — nothing but an influx of population ; and the only way of stopping people from leaving this country, amd the only means of inducing people to conio to the country in order to settle amongst us, is by offering them proper facilities for employing their labour and their capital. lam quite certain that the working men of the colony have long ago ceased to be led astray by this sugar andtea business. I myself believe 'that the fairest way to raise taxes in thiacountry is by the Customs. I am, a' moderate Protectionist. I go in for Protection so far as that poliov will encourage the growth of industries in the colony : and: I say that this colony" cannot progress unless it is equipped with industries for work ing up its natural products.