The Star. MONDAY, JUNE 29, 1885.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5348, 29 June 1885, Page 2

The Star. MONDAY, JUNE 29, 1885.

The Tariff Question is just now in all men's minds, and very much in the mouths of a considerable number. Prominent Freetraders are foremost in the clamour, and appear to have the deepest concern. They have put forward two arguments which evidently they think — the wish being father to the thought— will be invin» cable. One of these arguments haa to do with a very old friend of theirs-—" tbe cruelly oppressed farmer." The other, quite a new discovery, is "the downtrodden working man." Beallyit sounds quite curious to hear a little coterie of im porters, whose sole interest ia the interest of their pockets, expressing so much tender concern for the working classes. They remind us very much of that stupid trick of the OBtrich, of burying its small head in the sand, and imagining that its big bulk is hidden. These people have been wont to regard themselves quite as a governing class. They have hitherto taken up 'such a lofty standpoint that it was quite impossible for them to distinguish the human strata beneath them; and their very sudden revulsion of feeling is one of the funniest things imaginable. Of course it is to them quite inconceivable that the working classes tan think for themselves, so with that deep concern which arises from the possibility of diminished profits, they have set about the preparation of a line of thought for the inferior beings. Their desire is that every working man may imagine that if the projected new tariff — or anything like it— comes into force, he will be utterly orushed ; that he will henceforth have a fireless grate, and will be reduced to the deplorable condition of Bryan O'Lynn, who, as everybody knows, "had no b s to wear." Now, there are certain principles of good government which these much-moved agitators would probably wish to be forgotten for the time being. They do not think it is at all desirable that the greatest good of the greatest number should be studied ; their own good is paramount. And on the other hand they would have it believed to be their ardent desire that such small people as mechanics and labourers ought to contribute nothing towards the national expenses. We have, however, yet to meet with the artizan or labourer who professed to share in that opinion. "We believe that manhood suffrage is now-a-days pretty generally believed in, and that the units of the people are perfectly prepared to incur their fair share of responsibility. These very disinterested importers declare that any approach to a protective policy will send up the prices of the locally manufactured goods. If they could have arranged beforehand for the manufacturers to echo the cry, the seeming would have been better. But the complaint of some of the manufacturers is that the tendency of protection will be to produce so much competition, and to lower the prices so much, that there will be no profit left. As usual, the truth lies between the two contentions. That newly discovered individual "the down-trodden working man " is perfectly well aware that New Zealand is not dependent upon imported coal. He knows that the country, from one end to the other, is rich in undeveloped, untouched deposits. He knows that the products of the looms of Kaiapoi and Mosgiel are incomparably superior to the shoddy garments so often foisted upon him, and therefore incomparably cheaper. He knows that if more industries are set going, men who have been trained for particular occupations will get employment thereat, that the labour market will so be relieved of that overstocked condition which

has caused much hardship, that money will circulate more briskly, and that an easier livelihood will give the lie to the olap-trttp of commission agents. And then there is that other unhappy victim, "the cruelly-oppresßed farmer." For his edification we will simply give «a extract from a letter recently written by Mr P. B. W. Malet, an Oamaru manufacturer. " I know for a fact," writes Mr Malet, "that a certain firm of ironfounde*s< in Christchurch aro now, or have beea> making Cambridge rollore and supplying them to merchants to be sold ac Bnglisfr rollers, in order that they might fetch the English price. And this is not an isolate* case.