MR. CHAMBERLAIN'S PROPOSED ZOLLYEREIN.

Otago Witness, Issue 2237, 14 January 1897, Page 22

MR. CHAMBERLAIN'S PROPOSED ZOLLYEREIN.

i At a dinner given in his honour by the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce, Mr Chamberlain, the Secretary of State for the ! Colonies, eulogised the spread of British authority and the recent conquests in tho Soudan and Ashnnfcee. He admitted that the annexation of territory had of late been more rapid than was prudent, but in his opinion the Government had no option in the matter. If Great Britain had not acquired thexe additional domains some other colonising nation would bave stepped in and excluded British manufactures from the sphere the newcomers ) monopolised. Em-til hunger is only another ! phrase for new markets. Mr Chamberlain dwelt at Rome length (writes the correspondent of the Age) upon tho liberality which Great Britain displays to foreign merchants and manufactures, who are allowedto do business in and with British colonies on exactly the same terms as tbe people of this country. No German is prevented from trading with A'hantee because the' British flag flies over Ccomassie ; but no British trader is allowed to do business with German Etsfc Africa. Mr Chamberlain was scarcely so happy when undeclared that our triumphs had not onlj been advantageous to ourselves, bat had been full of benefits to the people over whom we have assumed (he functions of government. It is true that Coomasrie and Dongola may have baen rorcued from a eanguiucry barbarism, bub ,-buf: ib would be as well to have the opinions of ' the Ash an tees and the dervishes upon that head, and it is tolerably certain that the Matabele | would prefer the rule of King Lobengula to that; , of Mr Cecil Rhodes. Mr Chamberlain was v«ry strong pn statistics. In 1885 our total exports of domestic produce were £213,000,000, while in 1695, notwithstanding the decline in values, they had increased to £216.000,000. Germnny bad increased from £143,000,000 in 1885 to £148,000,000 in 1894, bo that while we had increased £3,000.000 our rivals had increaied ! £5,000,000. The exports from the United Kingdom to tbo various colonies and dependenc:e» were £105,000,000 ia 1884-85, and £113,000,000 in 1894, an iucrense of £8,000,000 ; j while those in Germany had grown Srom ! £1,500,000 to £4.500 000, an increase of £3,000,000. "These figures wero nob satis- \ factory, but they were not alarming. They showed, however, that in certain branches of trade in particular industries we have been outstripped by our competitors, and have lost trade which we ought to have maintained. Well, what was the reason of -this ? The reasons are ro dcubfc multifarious, bnfc tbe principal undoubtedly is (•o he fouud in what I must ra'l th' 3 too greab independence of our in*nufscLuriog posuktion, j In that phrase I iucludu aU claaoca — ths manut facturcrs themselves aud their workpeople,— I and it is unfortunately true that in late years our competitors abroad, and especially onr German competitors, have shown a greater willingness than wo have shown to meet the requirements of the markets." Mr Chamberlain's explanation is therefore the same as Lord Rosebery'a. The remedy is to shake off, the

intense Conservatism which has become a part of the manufacturers' nature, and for them to. emancipate themselves from obstinate adherence to out-of-date traditions.