The Tuapeka Times. AND GOLDFIELDS REPORTER AND ADVERTISER. "MEASURES NOT MEN." LAWRENCE : WEDNESDAY, 16th OCT., 1901 THE FEDERAL TARIFF.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 4900, 16 October 1901, Page 2

The Tuapeka Times. AND GOLDFIELDS REPORTER AND ADVERTISER. " MEASURES NOT MEN." LAWRENCE : WEDNESDAY, 16th OCT., 1901 THE FEDERAL TARIFF.

Without any intention of exaggeration tbe gravity of the situation which ia likely to be created as the effect of the Commonwealth tariff it cannot be denied that a serious blow has been dealt to some of oar most important export industries. It is true the tariff proposals of the Federal Government have not yet become law and may in tbe process of reaching the Statute Book undergo some modification. BqL even if this should be tbe case the effect on the export trade of this colony, and, of course, primarily on the agricultural industry, must still be very serious. It is instructive to note, as an indication of the temper and disposition of the Commonwealth towards this colony, that the duties on all those agricultural and pastoral products which comprise our staple exports have I been raised to a point that, in some instances, must prove absolutely prohibitive and in others restrict profits below paying point, which means the ultimate abandonment of tbe production of such articles of export. Sydney, having been a free port, has, of course, been our largest and most profitable Australian market. But in future New South Wales, in common with the other Federal States, will be practically a closed door to us and we will consequently be brought face to face with the problem, not too easy of solution, it is to be feared, of. finding fresh mar. kets for many of our surplus products. Both what this means and what New South Wales has been to us as a market for our produce will be at once gathered from the fact that for the halfyear ended the 30ih Jane last oar exports to that State amounted to no less than £650,187 out of a total of £1,096,413. Victoria took from us commodities of the value of £320,943. Our trade with the other States was not large, being for Western Australia £57,930 ; Tasmania, £27,926; South Australia, £24,249 ; and Queensland, £15,178. Our trade with the individual States, excluding New South Wales, it will be seen, is insignificant in amount, but yet in the aggregate it is large enough to be of importance to to us, especially when taken in conjunction with that of the Mother Colony. But under the new tariff it is practically all lost to us. The tariff, we feel warranted in saying, has been expressly framed to meet the case of New Zealand and effectually exclude her from participation in whatever industrial prosperity may result from a union in which she has refused to be a partner. But while taking this view of the situation we do not leave out of consideration the important fact that the Commonwealth Government has to raise a sum of £8,000,000 from this source and that, therefore, her tariff must necessarily be a high one. But exclusive of all this we are nob in a position to quarrel or find fault with the Federal Government for whatever course it may think proper to follow iv the matter of framing an import tariff whether for revenue purposes or for protecting Australian producers against New Zealand competition. We have ourselves gone to extremes in such matters and if we are now about to be taught a salutary though a severe lesson we should not cry out or indulge in foolish or impotent threats. We are merely being compelled to swallow a very large dose of the same medicine we have ourselves been administering with a very free hand to the producers and manufacturers of other countries. It baa brought home to us In a manner that should UOG fail to be impressive the selfishness of protection and furnished a practical lesson that may, it is to be hoped, open the eyes of the people of the colony to the folly of Buch a policy. The duty of £1 per ton on potatoes must necessarily have a serious effect next year on the production and export of these commodities, more especially in the Canterbury and North Ofcago districts from which the largest supplies have hitherto been sent to the Australian markets. As an instance of the importance of this one industry, in which those engaged are almost exclusively small farmers, it may be mentioned that during the period from January to October of the present year there were exported from Lyfcfceltoa to (Sydney 17,000 tons, out of a total export of 25,000, the price during August end September running from £4 10a to £5 sb. If the average for the season is put down at £3 per ton it would give a return of £75,000, of which Sydney took £51,000 worth. Had the duty been on during the season it would have meant an impost of £17,000 for the quantity sent to Sydney alone which, it must; be evident, would leave no margin of profits for the exporters. The export trade in this artiole must therefore be looked upon as dead. The duty of la Qd per cental (IOOIob) on oats will not affect Canterbury growers to anything like the same extent as it will Otago and Southland, as in that district the bulk of the best milling oats, which form the chief export in this cereal, finds a more profitable market in London than in Australia. The export trade in oats from QtagO and Southland to Australia must virtually cease, though no doubt there must be periods of drought and scarcity in the Commonwealth when the exclusion of outside supplies will be severely felt by consumers. Oats to the value of £230,000 were exported to Australia last year, but were at once snapped up by the middlemen there and re-shipped to South Africa. The duty of 3d per lb on bacon and hams is also a prohibitive duty and until another market is found to take the place of Australia the position of , the industry must be uncertain. Butter, cheese, eggs, fish, bacon, oats, timber, and some other articles of export of equal importance to the colony appear to have been specially in the mind of the Federal Government when tho tariff was being framed and the policy of exclusion has been given effect to with a completeness that should satisfy the most thorough-going Victorian protectionist. Other markets will no doubt in time be found for our products, but in the meantime the disorganisation of industry and consequent loss and inconvenience must be serious, even though it be only of a temporary character.

RENEWALS were granted by Mr Cruicksbank, S.M., on Monday, at Lawrence, for two old age pensions at £18 each and one for £9.