The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-02-23
OCEANlCA'S RESPONSE.

| gether very we'll In one pfeaCh We
| are informed that a new fortnigntiy
steamship service is to be established
| between Great Britain and the colony
and that this will benefit the trade OF
the United States. But almost at the
same moment comes long statement
| from our consul at Auckland regard
ing the new preferential tariff which
| New Zealand enacted last November.
and which is aimed principally at
American goods.
| Says The Nation: This New Zealand
| tariff is the first, and SO far the only
| tangible, result of the Chamberlain
agitation. From all the facts that can
be gathered, there is nothing to show
that the colony win gain anything from
its hasty procedure, But it is always
Premier Seddon's purpose to ride in the
"band wagon" He is not built, for
instance, like Hon. Alfred Deakin,
Prime Minister of the Commonwealth
of Australia. This statesman is as no
BILE a Roman as Mr.. Seldom. AS far
back as 1887 he advocated protec-
ZIONIST tariff for Great Britain, and he
believes in preferential duties today.
But he is too old a hand to make rash
promises. Mr.. Chamberlain, he says,
wants the British electors to make pro-
posals to the colonies. But he plainly
intends to know what those proposals
are before committing himself He
has a good deal to say about "a most
cordial and generous consideration of
the Chamberlain scheme, and he has
splendid visions of the future of Aus
traIian wheat and butter; but he also
says that, though the mother country |
has risen up, and the time is ripe for |
the development of national trade, "it |
will be no easy task to achieve that |
object" At heart, the Australian Pre- |
nier is governed by cheese pairing |
policy. But Mr.. Seldom is the soul of |
generosity. He puts il all on the |
ground of duty. He told the New Yea
land Parliament that it was their duty
to made a distinction between their
own kindred and alien nations; ..by so
doing they We're affirming a great prin-
ciple." Then came burst of mag
nanimity such as has rarely been
equalled. He asked for nothing from |
he mother country in return, he said:
ne had invariably refused TO do so. In
fact, he had always left it for the inn
periaI authorities to give something,
IF they saw fit
He has lived up to his principles
litter a fashion. He damned a most
astonishing tariff measure through
Parliament without allowing time for
consideration. The absurdity of the
aw was SO evident that he was forced
o admit that the proposals might not
,e economically sound, but it was a
,olitical necessit . This is going our
friends of protection" better. Under
he new law there is an extra duty of
90 per cent on cement. On the bulk
f the imports the extra" is so per
ent of the regular rate; and on q
arge number of articles previously adj /
nitted free there is charge of 20 per
ent. The duty on British-g grown tea
as been RENTED. The Premier men
toned the United States in particular
s country against which it was nee :
ssary to take definite action. He !
bowed his regard for us by increasing :
he duty on boots and shoes so perl {
|
ort to New Zealand. lie did the
anne with our next largest item, hard 7
ARE; and bicycles, also leading feat s
re, find themselves in the same box.
,mong the heaviest imports from the !
United States have been iron and steel '
nd printing paper. These were for {
1erly on the free list, but must here |
fter pay 20 per cent. Evidently. the
'remier does not take kindly to the fact | s
hat while the colony's total imports {
ince 1898 have increased 81 per cent.
hose from the United states alonei !
how a gain of 24S per cent.
The Auckland merchants back Mr. s
seldom UP in his assertion that the
ariff is not economically sound. They .
oint out that the New Zealand farm
RS will have to pay about $40 a ton 5
more for their fencing wire than for
nerly, for the benefit of the English ,
manufacturers. For some years past.
most of the rails used in the colony
ave come from the United States and
Germany; but henceforth the orders
sill go to the United Kingdom, where /
he prices have been higher. The
anne may be said of other conmodf-
les, But good many articles (such
$ engines, motor cars. etc.), cannot /
'e obtained in Great Britain, as the
English firms have more domestic or
ers than they can take care of In ,
hort, the passing of the tariff bill {