Prosperity.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume III, Issue 414, 8 February 1890, Page 2

Prosperity.

[to the editor.]

Sib, —As there is at present a good deal of controversy concerning the prosperity of New Zealand, perhaps it will not be out of place for ma to join in and offer a few remarks, for I confidently believe that it will be through the Press that we will become possessed of the knowledge that we are earnestly seeking after. The several Chambers of Commerce are, in their way, to a certain extent useful, but as soon as they attempt to introduce a Bill into the Legislature in favor of Freetrade, then I eay they should be at once checked. Freetrade is ail very well in its way; it may suit England, but most certainly does not suit any of the colonies. In England they are not able tu grow sufficient breadstuffa and meat to satisfy their own demands; therefore, it such articles were taxed in England, the people would very often be put to their wits' ends as to how they would live. I notice, too, that one of our Cabinet Ministers has already said that the Federation movement was only another way to trv and break up our Protection policy in order that we may resort to Freetrade. lam sorry I cannot quote his utter, anoes, but I may say I quite coincide with him. Jqst look at the several Chambers of Commerce, and see of whom tb e 7 ore oompozed. Are they not all Freetraders, that is merchants, who are only selling to the retaileraampurted goods 1 Now, they, and they only (merchants and retailers), will be benefited |by a Freetrade policy. Thousands of pounds worth of merchandise ia being imported into New Zealand every year; not only the product o! honest labor—that would not’be quite an intolerable—but there are the productions of European and American prisons to contend with. Now, what do we find, but the honest laborers of the colonies trying their level best to compete with the cheap, and many times inferior, productions of other countries ? Those who deal in the goods, get their profits, whether they ba great or small, while the hard earned money of the colonist is being sant away in order tn pay for that which is imported. It is all non sense for some people to assert that t* trade ” is carried on by a system of “ paper,'i and “exchange.” Partly it may be, but not wholly, for only a short while ago one of the large steamers took from the colonies to England, st one time, 20.000 sovereigns, and previous to that shipment there were some thousands more, and so it continues. Now, if we continue to send away our hard cash, in order to fatten the already rich exporting companies abroad, then we must expect, not only periodical, but a continued depression, or stagnation of trade, for if money is not earned, it certainly cannot ba spent, Wa have perhaps some of the finest wool in the world, and coms of the best grain, and we certainly have gold, silver, copper, iron, Coal, timber, and above all thousands of seres bl land, only waiting for willing hands to come and occupy it. We are immensely rich, in all our primary wants, and we seem greatly elated whenever a foreign syndicate will only come and buy up all our minerals and timber, take them away, manufacture them into articles, and send them back to us and take away our money. All this is being done, while the “ horny handed son of toil,” as he is called, looks on and sufiles with contentment, Now the Protectionists have a victory.in the present Government, with S r H. Atkinson at its head, and I hope he will hold fast to his protective policy, together with perpeiual leasing ol land; if he does, Other measures of a useful and beneficial character will very soon follow in their train,—l am, tbs.. Pax.