The Timaru Herald MONDAY, JULY 8, 1907. FARMERS AND PROTECTION.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIC, Issue 13332, 8 July 1907, Page 4

The Timaru Herald MONDAY, JULY 8, 1907. FARMERS AND PROTECTION.

In view of probable discussion and alteiation of the tariff, by Parliament this session, the Farmers' Union Conference ;>fc Wellington had a warm debate last wojk about wheal and the duties on Hour, the Union havo a constitutional plank that Customs duties should 1)3 for revenue purposes and not for protection, and' this served as the key note for the debate. Thero were also two remit* before 1' o Conference, one from Wellington to the effect that an increase in duties for the protection of local industries would raise the price of protected articles to the consumer, and that should any amendment be made, it should be in the direction of I a revenue instead of a protective taiill ; and the other, from Taranaki, that it wis desirable to reduce, taxation on the necessaries of life. Tho discussion sho.vcd that there was a marked division among the members of tho Union, so far as wheat and Hour were concerned. It was declared that the tax. on wheat was not a revenue tax, and that and the duty on flour should be abolished. As against this it was argued that the price of wheat, was always going up or down, and l.h:i-i> being the case, the Union should advocate that when wheat reached a certain level in price, the duty should bo remove:!. These views were* considered by several delegates to be rather unfortunate, for all tho members of the Union wore freetraders; and Mr Maxw--.11 (Taranaki) sail

"lie. could nut conceive t lii? Union uup])o: i--ing what.it lcgarded as a, vicious system." He spoko at .soma length against protection, and said that if without the duty the wheat industry would go out, let it go. Mr Jones and Mr Lcadley -,;tat'd the position from tho Canterbury point .>[ view, and speaking for the largest grain growers in the colony, strongly urged th t matters be left as at present. Both pointed out that tho protection wheat iio>v enjoyed was very slight, and that during the present agitation in this market, the advance in ilour worked out as a very small fraction to ihu conMini.r. JLh«

whole discussion was remarkable fur the f;i>'t that neither remit sent forward, nor th" resolutions proposed, found fav.ntr a-mong tho majority. One suggested nmtion was to the effect that necessaries -if life bj lightly taxed, but th:tt the Union protest against fanners' produce bsmg sacrificed for revenue purposes: and another that it vra-i desirable to reduee ta>;.< tion on all neee-saris of lite which we:e lightly protected. Finally the Coufercm ". without really giving the country or ! ! ie Government any lead on the tariff. ir» relation to the question of duty or no du'y tm wheat anil Hour, which is at present of so much importance to the masses -if the colony, let the whol-j matter drop.