THE FISCAL QUESTION.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 12849, 6 July 1907, Page 9

THE FISCAL QUESTION.

COBDEN CLUB'S BANQUET. SPEECH BY MR CHURCHILL. Uaitrf Pre.. As.oci»tkm-By Electric Telegraph— Copyright. * (Received July 6th, 10.17 p.m.) i LONDON, July 5. At th* Cobden Club's annual dinner Mr Winston Churchill said no offer was made at the Imperial Conference except the offer to take everything Great Britain could give. The Conference produced absolutely no effect upon the Freetrado forces of the country or the organisation of the Liberal and Radical parties, but produced a profound effect upon the- Conservative forces, which were now homogeneous and solid, and agreed on a protectionist policy. The Imperial preference movement did not derive its force from a desire to unify the Empire. If not supported by the driving power of selfish vested interests the movement would possess no life, stability, or strength. Common objects served to unite the Empire equally well as preference. Senator Pulsford, of Sydney, responding to tho toast of the cause of Freetrade, declared that hundreds of thousands of Australians were Freetraders, and gloried in Great Britain's Freetrade policy. Some day a wave of Froetrade opinion would sweep over the Commonwealth and mako it determined to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Motherland in attempting to secure a Free Trade Empire.