Wairarapa Standard Published Tri-weekly, Price 1d. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 27, 1886. Mr Buchanan’s Speech.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XIX, Issue 1787, 27 January 1886, Page 2

Wairarapa Standard Published Tri-weekly, Price Id. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 27, 1886. Mr Buchanan’s Speech.

In a recent article we dealt with some points in Mr Buchanan's speech. Other points of equal importance still remain to be taken up, Mr Buchanan’s crushing exposure and emphatic denunciation of that attempted monstrous fraud—the East and West Coast Railway scheme—laid bare the iniquitous proposal so clearly and plainly as must convince every impartial person who reads the speech that no job so gross was ever before attempted to be perpetrated upon the people of this colony. In this matter Mr Buchanan speaks with special knowledge, and his words will carry the greatest weight wherever they are read. In truth, the reasons put forward by Mr Buchanan, why the construction of this East and West Coast Bailway Line should not be undertaken, are alike overwhelming and convincing. Several Parliamentary Commissions, after a full investigation of the subject, reported against undertaking the work. Even a Commission composed of Christchurch men was obliged, sorely against the grain, to give an unfavorable report. Yet in face of nil this, J, m sent Ministry, with the object of bo'ing the votes of Canterbury members, used tin most strenuous efforts to commit the colony to carrying out the undertaking. They supported the notorious Moiggs’ proposals, which meant giving that firm one million and a quarter acres of land, and a money guarantee on the part of the colony to the extent of £97,000 a year, or 2J per cent on a expenditure of nearly £4,000 000—that being what it was estimated the railway would cost. Certain 1 " l^e ultimate advantage and profit to be gained ftoul “» kin ß this railway would seed to have been very r! rea * le Ministry in saddling the colony Wl wi PU«h heavy responsibilities. But what ate the real facts ? Just these, The railway would be a heavy loss for many years to come. On this point Mr Buchanan speaks in the most emphatic and convincing way. He says : " I know the country well through which the railway would pass, and I declare that the land is perteotly worthless and barren fot purposes of settlement pastoral, agricultural or otherwise, it is nearly all covered with dense bush and all attempts to grow anything after clearing have been universal failures With 25,000 of a consuming population in the several districts, the Crown, in over 20 years, has been able to sell only about 7000 acres. What reasonable man would wish for more evidence than this? But wbat, yon will say, about the coal and timber. We have granted large concessions to the Harbor Board at Oreymon'h aud Westport, which it is hoped will result m deep water harbors at both places. With the steep grades necessary to carry it over the backbone of N.Z., can a railway compete with water carriage ? The thing is ridiculous and the same thing is true as to timber carriage.” Ther« is no gainsaying such facts and arguments as these, wbeu they are used by a man, who, like Mr Busbauan, has had thirty years experience in working land in various parts of the colony. It would be sheer madness to commit the colony to the construction of a railway which passes through worthless country and possesses no prospect whatever, save that of providing an utterly ruinous undertaking which weald simply engulph the millions expended on Hand afford tmreturn whatever. Parliament during last scouted the whole scheme, and should the Ministry again revive it, then the House should teach them that no such mont-Dcn fraud upon the colony shall be carried out. If Mr Buchanan will repeat in Fai liatueut what he has already ' said to bis constituents about this proposed iniquitous job, he will do much to completely mi 4 bring to ooo'usica tbe ieUub

action of its unprincipled and unscrupulous promoters. On the question of “ Protection ” Mr Buchauau showed very clearly that the adoption of such a policy would not ouly prove disastrous to the colony, but at the same time largely increase the cost of living to every class in the community. Our own views on this question have been stated in the most emphatic termr in previous articles in these columns. We fight under the banner of Free Trade and are utterly opposed to a nolicy of Protection. The existing Customs Duties on imported articles —which have been imposed mainly with the object of raising revenue, and not for Protective purposes—already afford quite sufficient protection to colonial industries and manufactures. The proof of this is to be found iu the fact that many local industries and manufactures suitable to the colony have already been established and are in a prosperous condition. The splendid display of industrial products and manufactures which was made in the Exhibition at Wellington indicates the great and satisfactory progress which has been made of late years in this direction. Facts and experience prove that almost any local industry will do well in this colony if the raw material can be cheaply and abundantly produced here, and natural facilities exist for carrying on the process of manufacture. The manufacture of leather ; of boots and shoes ; saddlery, harness, woollen cloths, flannel and blankets, are illustrations of this. The dairy factories and the production of butter and cheese form an industry which in time will develops into large dimensions and prove a source of considerable profit. We might specify scores of other industries which ate already doing well in the colony without the aid of Protection, further than that which is already given to them by the freight and other charges, and the Customs Duties—imposed for revenue purposes—which are charged upon imported articles. Colonial industries will do very well without farther Protection, and any attempt on the part of the Government to adopt such a policy ought to be strenuously resisted. We well know what a Protective policy means to the great mass o! the people in this colony. Almost every article of general use would be largely increased in price. The cost of living would be seriously enhanced. The wages of the working man, both in town and country, would not go nearly so far as at present in providing necessaries and comforts for himself and his family. In short, alter a few years of 11 Protection ” the great majority of the people would find that the colony was so crushed down by taxation on almost every article required for every day use that it would be scarcely fit to live in. We congratulate Mr Buchanan on having taken a decided stand on the side of Free Trade, and on having declared himself dead against Protection. It is to be hoped that an overwhelming majority of the members of the House will uphold similarjviews, and, by vigorously acting upon them, utterly defeat that ruinous fiscal policy which those enemies of the people, Vogel, Stout, Ballauce andLarnach, have declared they will attempt to force upon an unwilling country. Let all true friends of New Zealand unite for the purpose of defeating so nefarious a policy and for thrusting out of place and power the men who contemplate carrying it out.