CUSTOMS DUTIES.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 10, Issue 619, 16 June 1866, Page 2

CUSTOMS DUTIES.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE WANGANUI CHRONICLE! Rrtn'gitikei, June 12, 1866. Sib—As our legislators are about to meet, I, with your permission would beg to make the following few observations. It would be much better rather than introduce another additional system of raising funds for carrying on our government, if our legislators woula have but the one system, because of the , expense of two, and it is worth their while to consider whether it would not be better to increase the present vicious and destructive system, bad as it is, than create another nearly equal in expense with the present customs establishment. For the people of this country to maintain the customs sj'stem is most suicidal, cruel to itself and all its prosperity and interests. If for instance its people could save the half of the seven millions of money annually leaving to pay our imports, they would be three and three-quarters of a million the richer in cash, this is quite manifest. To encourage the baby to walk, the , nurse says, “ Walk alone baby, walk alone,” and the nurse could, only be considered stupid were she to put on the child’s shoulders a load the child could not balance itself under. Now our present government are just doing this very stupid thing, while it says, go on and prosper. Remove these heavy burdens, and our people would find that very thing removed which strikes at the very root of every branch of industry. . Equalise the burdens, and your population would increase to such a degree that you would be quite independent in a very short time of a nation, a majority of whose government are fanatics. Remove your crushing customs duties, and allow your men to unbosom your rich minerals of gold, iron, coal, &c., &c., simplify your government, and there is little else wanted in this splendid country to make it live and prosper. ; I am persuaded if an angel or. a superior . spirit were in silence looking on our system of - government, he would at once without any Hesitation pronounce our legislators daft to all

intents and purposes, and would be very apt toshout to his friends to come and see ,a country playing a came of Kilkenny eats. To make our country prosperous,\we must cause its burdens to-fall on the wealthy as well as the industrious. Don’t seek so much after trifles such as flax preparing, savings on backing and insurances, &c., these only afford a small profit to the few, while we neglect the' real and substantial things of the many. Pjro Bono Publico;