PROTECTION V. FREETRADE.

Timaru Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 3410, 1 September 1885, Page 3

PROTECTION V. FREETRADE.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE TLMARU HERALD. Sib,— l notice m your leader of August 29th you gave sonic remarks mado by tho President of the Christchurch Chamber of Commerce, Mr G. a. Stead, at tho annual meeting of that body. You cay, " Into the vexed question of Protection v. Freetrade Mr Stead did not enter at any length. He pointed out, however, that it was unfortunate for the advocates of the former that m no country had the depression been so severely felt as m the United States, and yet no other country maintained such high protective duties." Now, sir, I think to single out a country m this way, and blame protection for its depression is unfair. For m reality the severity of the depression has been regulated, not by protection or freetrade, but by what a country has produced, quite irrespective of either ; I may make my meaning more plain m this way, Canterbury has felt the depression a great deal more than the North Island. How is thia ? They are both subject to the same tariff duties. The main reason is, that Canterbury has had to depend more on grain, and grain stands at such a low price. I am, &c, S.S. [Mr Stead did not blamo protection for causing tho depression m America. Ho only contended that it did not mitigate tho depression, but that on tho contrary tho latter was felt more severely m America where a high tariff is maintained than m, England whoro there is freotrado.— Ed. TM.']