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Waikato Times, Volume I, Issue 13, 30 May 1872, Page 3

Mr. Donald Reid, M.TJ.R., himself a farmer addressing liis constituents, (lie Taieri farmers, thus refers to-protection r —Referring to the subjects of tfoe increased duties, he said the grain, duties were imposed, so they were told, as a protection to the farmers. The question of protection was one that required serious consideration on the part of the farmers, and it was quite possible they might be made a catspaw of by the Government in order to secure larger revenues. It was a sort of protection he did not approve, and would prefer to see it in the way of giving facilities for distributing produce. Why, the West Coast imported its flour from Adelaide because we had no means of sending it to them. We sent it to Adelaide, and thence it was sent toHokitika.. W T e did not require protection. What was to.be gained by it? We sent produce to every part of the world. While they saw the cry was protection to the farmers, the ironmasters of Auckland said they could manufacture farming implements and required a duty to be put on imported machinery. Protection meant ruination to the farmers; it would not bring a farthing into the farmers' pockets. Other classes would ultimately cry out against the tax on bread ; it would be struck ofl£ and other industries would retain their protection. He hoped the farming interest would not give way to th-e very plausible cry of protectioß.