SOME PROPHECIES.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIV, Issue 244, 13 October 1903, Page 5

SOME PROPHECIES.

A MINISTERIAL CABAL

(Received 8.5 a.m.)

LONDON, October 12

Mr Ritchie went on to say 'that it would have been highly improper to introduce such a change by a side wind. The eight millions in war taxes derived from tea and sugar ought to have been removed without the imposition of new taxation on bread and meat.

Mr Chamberlain's juggle would involve a loss to the consumers of nine, millions, which would be increased many times that number of millions if the suggested ten per cent, taxes were imposed on foreign' manufactured goods. The sovereign would then only be worth 17/0. (Cries of "We'll have higher wages" here interrupted Mr Ritchie.)

He asserted that there were no si^ns of the colonies generally giving the Mother Country preferential advantages. Such preference as Canada offered was of no great value. To treat all the colonies alike you must put a lax on raw material. These proposals instead of uniting the Empire would have an opposite effect. "1 advised the Cabinet," ill1 Ritchie went on. "that it would be a huge political mistake to acquiesce in the colonies being punished for 'maintaining a

friendly attitude towards their Mothei Country, but thai, the particular step;to be taken should depend upon Hie eircumslanees in each case. Tariff retaliation might not be the only effectual method of reprisal, and if attempts were made to destroy our industries by "dumping," then reprisals would be justified." Mr Ritchie stated that the Duke of Devonshire. Lord Balfour of B'urleigh, Lord George Hamilton, and himself met on September 15 and agreed to resign.