The Gisborne Standard AND COOK COUNTY GAZETTE Published every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday Morning. Tuesday, February 5, 1889. POLITICS IN NEW SOUTH WALES.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume II, Issue 256, 5 February 1889, Page 2

The Gisborne Standard AND COOK COUNTY GAZETTE Published every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday Morning.

Tuesday, February 5, 1889. POLITICS IN NEW SOUTH WALES.

Be just and fear not; Let all the ends thou aim’st at be thy country’s, Thy God's, and truth’s.

The outcome of the political contest that is now taking place in New South Wales has an especial interest to the New Zealant farmer. If the country decides, as it appears most probable it will, in favor of a strictly protective tariff, it means the hampering with further restrictions of a market that has gradually been widening for the reception of New Zealand produce. This fact,

perhaps,is one ofthestrongestarguments that can be used by the Protectionists of the former country, that they are being shut out from their own markets; but we are taking the selfish, view of a liJew Zealander. Freetraders will of course argue the policy is a suicidal one to adopt. With that we have st present nothing to do. Protection may or may not moan great advantages to New South Wales, but it must certainly mean disadvantages to the New Zealand produce trade that is being established with that colony, and in which we had hopes that Gisborne would soon be able to take a considerable share. The greatly-increased trade that has recently been done is of course mainly the result of the drought, but the superiority of the New Zealand article, with cheaper means of transport, would under ordinary circumstances very soon obtain for it a permanent market. One of the baits the Dibbs Government is holding out to the farming interest is an extraordinary liberality of tha land laws, and in this respect the state of politics promises to reset greatly in favor of the selectors. They say they care nothing for the question of Freetradg or Protec--' tion: either or both may be good, or the reverse; they leave that to the city folks’ and those who are better up in figures to argue, They don’t understand it, they say, and do not want to discuss U—what they understand are the land laws, and they want politicians who will be liberal In that respect. As matters now stand the Government have to offer their terms to the settj.srs instead of the latter being allowed to cry out Ig yain. ■ In the end the farmers will therefore i he considerable gainers, no matter , which side comes out triumphantly. , □nr Sydney correspondent makes an , excellent review of the general situation, i )y which it will be seen that there are J nany elements at work in the decision if the Contest. Whatever the result nay be it will be a question o’ indie j

than ordinary interest to this colonyWhen food is urgently required at all costs it is evident that the taxpayer has got to pay the extra charges, but when the local suppliers have a surplus on hand outsiders would be on a very different footing. The polling began last Saturday, and the elections will be over in a couple of weeks. We commend the position of affairs, and the probability of a Protection Government being shortly in power in New South Wale?, to the charterer of the vessel which is now in the bay; if her arrival in Sydney can be well timed, there is a possibility of getting the produce in just previous to the tariff being raised.