PROTECTION IN VICTORIA.

Waikato Times, Volume XLII, Issue 3360, 11 January 1894, Page 8

PROTECTION IN VICTORIA.

The Sydney Mail of the 9th ultimo has!: the fpijowing :~There.., is significance inn the fact, that after a quarter of; a centi'rys of, protection inVictoria, and after a steady i r*iflinf; of ,the ratea' of ..the; duties,' it ha* been found expedient by the Legislature to make formal inquiry as to the manner iu which; protection; has worked. Without, doubt the,colooy is in a condition of unexampled depression. Every interest is surTering. Eniploymentiieg. Properly'li'aVfallen in value, What has produced these results? Has protection contributed to theirproduction ? It has failed n to K -arrest ! What hare been its.effects? The expedtency {of/ ioquiry iotojthis matter has been recognised ;(b\it instead of entrust!, ing the an, independent commission, a board, presumably in favour of protection, is dotog the work. This is n^t^nrpnsing.under the circumstances ;<< but'the important point is that an inquiry-is being made. A few years ago the ideaof making such an inquiry would;' have been scouted as absurd. Still more significant,:(however, is the fact;that the board,, which v has been travelling from place.to place in tht> country, 1 has received almost unanimous 'testimony to>the effect that protection-has!been a failure; that theianners) have ;not. gained anything from it, ; but that they have been compelled by it to pay-more for all! things that they, require/and have.therefore been subjecloss.' 'The.circumstance tbWone? witness has still .declared his faith in protection, but nevertheless his wish that the duties should -reduced, only renders more significant the unanimity of ths rest of the other side. This is naturally trying to the hoard of rtat|of protectionists outside, theories are upset by the experience of. these unforttinate Victorian farmers who are speaking their minds. • ; The result of the inquiry and the' report of the board will be looked for with ittefest; but in the meantime the evidence* may be com-' mended to the attention of our farmere, not a few of whom are beginning to see that they; of all classes, have nothing to hope from protection, which cannot add to the price of their products fitter the local demand has been satisfied, 1 whilst it will increase the cost of everything they have to buy.