SOCIALISM V. TARIFF

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 620, 24 September 1909, Page 5

SOCIALISM V. TARIFF

THE ALTERNATIVE,- . ADDRESS BY MR. BALFOUR, MR. CHAMBERLAIN ENCOURAGES THE ' : , PEERS. .■'■,'.■ (By Telegraph-Press Association-Copyright.) (Rcc. September 23, 10.30 p.m.) , ' -~.■'. London, Soptcmber 23. i. Following on Mr. Asquith's Budget speech in the Bingley Hall, Birmingham, Mr. Balfour, Leader of tho Opposition, last night addrossed n crowded meeting in tho sanio Hall (which tho Unionist Leader was able to secure,by permission of tho Liberal Budget League, who had rented it)., Tho speech had been eagerly looked forward to by the public. Mr. Joseph Chamberlain (on whose invita-' tion,. sent last August, Mr. Balfour delivered tho address) listened by means of an electrophone, installed s at Highbury, his residence at Birmingham. .••'. :.■ ■ ■ ■;. ■

' The, gathering in tho Hall numbered 10,000, including 2300, representatives of the- Union-ist-.Conservative Associations, of tho Midlands. ...There were 50,000 applications for admittanoo. Peers, members of the Houso of Commons, and candidates filled the platform, any many ladies were present... Mr. Austen Chamberlain' (Mr. Chamberlain's ■ son,' and Chancellor of tho Exchequer in tho last Unionist Government) presided. ■• .- ... ;■ Mr..Chamborlaln Challangos Appoal to tho '■■ ' ■.■.■■■•.'';.■''■ -V country.. I;-- '.'' .....,.'■ ■.■:.' TJiere was a sepuo of indescribable ; enthusiasm ' ,when Mr. Balfour entered with Mrs. Chainberlaih. Tho ovation was renewed when' Mr.'' Austen.' Chamberlain read the following message from his. father .. '. ■.' ..■

;,■ 'M hope that tho House of Lords will ;-.: , see thoir way to. force a general election, ~ and 1 don't doubt what the answer of .■ the country will be. - ' ■;'■ •'•;, •.,• "Mr'.i Asquith seeks to represent the 7' Budget as an-advantage to working-;.' men. ; I cannot take this view. The ; Budget is the last effort of JTreo-trado ~" ; finance.to•find n substitute for tariff ■.•..> . reformr and Ctinperial: preference.. It is ".' : avowedly intended to destroy tho Tariff,', ; .■ Keform ■ movement/.-which' I. believe is : . necessary; as , a i remedy for tho present-', ": want:of cniployment.. Tho-Budget will ■ ■-■'■ . 'supply us with.money, but doprivous of. ; ! !:■•!.worfc '- '- •'. ; .'".' ••'■'-'.': ■■■"■'• ■•'/■■" ■':'.' ■' ; ."Therefore you havo to choose between 1 '..: ■' tariff reform—which assists trade, in- :' creases employment, and seouros a fair., •■' ■ ■ ":.,- contribution to the. revenue from 'for-...:" eicners using our jnarkets—and a Bud-: '■■ .'gee .'.which'\casts'. fresh burdens on 1 our "trade, hampers oui - . iudustrics, and.'.-.■•': takes, the commonest -comforts from our ; , ';' people." '■ '.. ■•-.'•.'-''. ~: '.;.'.'•'.-.■ ; ' ■■.'■■■..•.;', : , DosfruGtlon of Wealth No euro of Pbvqj-ty; '':Mr. ;Balfour declared that■ the, 'measure showed that-Mr.' Chamberlain: was' ablb to give them his matured\thought on: a great politicalv'crisia.!"'-. The' yipw that ; the-.Budget was a; lipopr, mail's.Budget"..was fanatic.,::.■".

''If wo■• coiild abolish 'povorty by abolishing riches,"' said, Mr. Balfour,:;"the .social'roiormer's.taskwould.bo'casy., .'Any fool; can. destroy; tt-ealth:'; .-Mri." Asquith ; has. initiated doctrines.. which carry, by: implication the; whole-: Socialistic- creed, .-'.The Budget is "hot a continuation of-the traditions' of the. Chancellor of ithe\E?chcquor.during the.last-sixty years. , ; It masquerades .in tho old clothes, but...they ,don't, fit.;'. :.' ' ;; ;.-. .-"■/ ■;.,;.- ■•-' . ; "If.-.you \vant /tqJmow.whai.'tbo.'bMk of' Pthb'BUpp'orters■ of .'. tho Budget, aro; thinking, , , 'don't £o !r to pr,to;those ho.'ih: !torided. to* .placate. in;.his .address-last : . Fri-. dayj but.'Eoito 'the; candid'-utterArices of'ibis. , more important' colleagues. . Afr. Asiitii.th's version of 'the.'Butliiet , was intended for ■'draw-; ing-room use. . " It; is: very .different to .that given in -the".street-, corner oratory, of ■■ hiebustling colleaEUos.- ~ ; :,; -.;. ■'.'.;, :

.■■ '.fSocialistio folly cannot zo, further ..than .it has in ttio ; hands of tho present Govern-, ment. .;.With': regard to" land, this: modern' Radical Government says: 'Let us nbaridun, small land-'ownership, and pnly jjiyo smalt, leaso ownership.'■:■ That 'seems to bo Socialism, gone mad. '-' '■ \. : .-..;■. ■.■.•;.'..V'-;. ; V , '':■..!■■!•,-.■■ .■';•■' ■; > Security Vital to Business. ■■; ■■ . '•'.'Security is .the; yery iessonce of ■ industrial success. 'You cannot confiscate the proper ty of A without making B tremble in his shoee.: It is of. no use .to-pass philanthropic legislation if tho.poor are : tho more.injured by the' manner in .which you obtain the money;!; You havo: mobile.- capital—international 'capital ready to move to,Anierica, Germany, , of -England.; ;' .L: '' ■' -': ■■" .-'...■'•;■..' : ; ,v':':''■ : \;- ■;';.'.■ ■'■.'■'■■

"Ji he gets:his interest; , it matters littlb to tho rich; capitalist whether he gets: it by giving employment'in , America, in Britain, or in Germany. 'But is it all one to. the workers'of this country ?'. That - is- the problem you I uyii tojeonsidcr. j thinkit is tho root, the cru- : cial point, tho essential knot'.of tb's can-, .trovbrsy.,; V v ■• '; }'■■ ■''-'.;:'•'■'■'.' ' '-'■■. ; '■■''■ .■"".-.' ..'.'What.we want is business.' : ' The policy which Eives business' is the policy' ford the poor man.. Tho rich can laugh at any Chaiij cellor of the Exchequer. ..'.'■ ■• . i .....'

"When I spokont',Birmingham two years ago, I.pointed,out that, owing to tko progress i of expenditure, tho' need, of finding money 1 'woujd bring home to every thinking man the necessity.for. tho; alteration' of the. fiscal system. 'That prophecy has convo true, .The old system has, broken down, and the old fiscal machinery must bo scrapped. .'7 . ; ■, ;

I Foreigners' the Colonics. "It is intolerable that whilo America and Germans aro allowed to forso weapons bj which thej aro going to uithdnw from our sphere of commercial influence, our own colonies, -no should sit with folded arms, nntl, hiding behind antiquated formulae, refuse to look facts in tho face. "I confess 1 look with amazement, not unmixed with contempt, upon thoso who with oerfect equanimity face a \ situation wh'ch, if allowed to continue, will build un orcat communities surroundcH by own tariff walls, against wh c»i we wl'l beat in valn-a situation -n wh'ch we w'M see our colonics and f-e dependencies of the Crown belonging economically, Industrially, and financially to tome other commercial system than that of which we are the centre." _£___■■' : ■ v '. ' MR. BALFOUR'S 190>' SPEECH. '■';;', When the Conservative-Unionist Associations gathered in ' Birmingham in 1907, I-Mr. H. Chaplin, M.l'., moved a, resolution declaring that the first constructive policy of tho Unionist party sh.ould be reform of the fiscal system with tho viow of broadening the basis of taxation, safeguarding our great productive industries from unfair competition, strengthening our position'for the purpose of negotiation in foreign markets, and establishing preferential commercial arrangements with the . colonies. This, was carried, and Mr.. Balfour cordially endorsed it.-. ■■'.',..- . . ■,'-.-........ ~:'.. Mr. BnUour is reported as saying:. • "The resolution divides the question into four heads —broadening tho , basis of. taxation, safeguardin" our grent productive industries from unfair competition, strengthening our" position for the purpose of negotiation in.foreign,markets, and establishing -preferential commercial arrangements- with .■ the colonies -"nnd securing for British producers and , workmen a further advantage over, towim corojietitors. in the

colonial markets. To that programme of fiscal reform I need not Bay I heartily subscribe. '■;, "I think you might approach tho whole policy of tariff reform from any ono of these four propositions, ■ and I behove you would arrive at tho Eamo practical result. Tho policy which, is good for; ono is good for tho others— by.; the policy, by "which ono can bo promoted tho others,, can do advanced, and wo cau confidently say that any fiscal.changes wo carrr out would not be merely, independent effort! to'■■deal; first-with-this opposition and then with that, but a comprehensive scheme by which all four of thoso great causes might be equally 'advanced. Broadening of. tho basil of taxation is absolutely necessary in'my judg mont, for'revenue purposes." ' ■■ ■■■.': _on-tho Eamo occasion, Mr. Ealfour saidr ■Duties should be widespread. They should bo small.., They should not touch raw material. They should not alter tho proportion in which, the working classes ore asked to contribute t« the cost of government,":, : ; , ! . .... On i tho present occasion, Biiißlev Hall, Bir* mingham, was rented by tho Budget Liberal Wnffuo, and tho lattcr's concession of tho hall to the Unionists, to enable them to reply to is ono of tho . amenities of pphtical party warfare. Tho: genosis\of Mr, lialfours speech may bo found in thp following paragraph' in ."Tho Times" of August last . ?J C , understand that Mr, Chamberlain haf nvi ed Mr, Balfour to. be the principal speaker at a great Unionist demonstration all Birmingham, to be held shortly after tho visit 1,1 ™Jn"£T ltt i iO , Bi ™in6hani, which, it'will