Identifier: australiafiscalp00reid (find matches)
Title: Australia and the fiscal problem ..
Year: 1903 (1900s)
Authors: Reid, G. H. (George Houstoun), Sir, 1845-1918
Subjects: Tariff -- Australia Free trade
Publisher: London : Sir Joseph Causton & Sons, Ltd.
Contributing Library: University of California Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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ears later at Maitland by the Prime Ministerof the Australian Commonwealth. The firstAmerican duties ran from 5 to 15 per cent, advalorem. They were to disappear when theindustries to be encouraged had acquired thepromised perfection. In America, where thebounty of Nature counteracts the effects ofpolitical meddling, strength seems to come slowlywith adventitious aid, and appetite to grow bywhat it feeds on. The import duties still remainto protect the eternal infancy of industries, andin i8go were equal to 30 per cent, ad valoremupon the total imports. To take two leadinglines—the duty on cotton was in 1790 7^ percent. It was raised in 1794 to 12^ per cent., in1797 to 15 per cent., in 1804 to I7;- per cent.,and in 1812 to 35 per cent. During the sameyears the duty on woollens was increased from 5to 30 per cent, ad valorem. Protection, a Temporary Specific.The history of import duties for protectivepurposes has been similar in the Australiancolonies. In the beginning the duties were
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Rembrandt Studios, Block Arcade, Melbourne Thk Hon. p. McM. GLYNN, M.P. Copyright FEDERAL TARIFF AND FISCAL REFORM 33 even lower than those imposed in thefirst session of the American Congress. In1900 the duties on taxed articles, exclusive ofstimulants and narcotics, were equal to anaverage of 23 per cent, ad valorem for all theStates. As the duties were practically forrevenue purposes only in New South Wales,and were on a moderate scale in WesternAustralia, it will be seen how burdensome wastheir character in some of the other States.The Dominion of Canada also, at a time whena policy was required to keep a party together,adopted Protection as a temporary specific foran assumed sluggish industrial condition.Twenty years later Sir Wilfrid Laurier foundhow difiicult it is to even temper with modera-tion a high protective policy. I can assureyou that no one knows the difficulty of dealingwith vested interests, although admittedly theduties were still far too high. Power in Defence of P

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