THE FISCAL QUESTION.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 12028, 1 November 1904, Page 5

THE FISCAL QUESTION.

LORD ROSEBERY AND MR CHAMBERLAIN. United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph-Copyright. LONDON, October 30. Speaking at Trowbridge, Lord Rosebery dwelt fully on the Baltic Fleet's outrage. The rest of his speech consisted of a vigorous assault on Chamberlainism, which Lord Rosebery declared would substitute a uwcihanical empire, with its commercial centre in Great Britain, jarred by perpetual friction, for the bond of self-govern-ing communities, until the present sentimental policy became merely a tradition. (Received November Ist, 1.3 a.m.) LONDON, October 31. Lord Rosebery, ppeaking at Trowbridge, said he regarded Canada's preference, which was offered not as barter, but as a matter "of grace, favour and loyalty, and other similar offers of free gifts and concessions from the colonies, m an acknowledgment of the Motherland's enormous burden of national dofence. Mr Chamberlain's proposals were moving in a vicious circle. Colonial, and especially Canadian, competition in wheat was a menace to the agricultural interests. If the Tariff Irfague tried to arrange a treaty with Canada they would encounter many difficulties. If Canadian wheat received preferenoe, Australian would be entitled to greater preferenoe owing to the extra distance. He charged Mr Chamberlain with advocating a policy whose effect might po-triMy be as disastrous and aa great as war, and with attempting to roughly, rudely, and inconsiderately ohange the bads of the Empire by offering to sacrifice our fiscal independence to an illusory, fantastic idea, setting tlie Labour party in Australia* and the Trade Unionists of the Motherland by the ears, and offering a one-sided preferenoe without consulting the country.