THURSDAY, JUNE 5, 1902. PREFERENTIAL TRADE.

Evening Post, Volume LXIII, Issue 133, 5 June 1902, Page 4

THURSDAY, JUNE 5, 1902. PREFERENTIAL TRADE.

In view of tha prominence now being given to preferential tariff proposals and the fact thut the United Kingdom, in order to meet the wivhes of the colonies, would be obliged to impose a duty upon the moro important of tho foodstuffs which it imports from foreigu countries, considerable interest attaches to the returns relating to those foodstuffs. The year 1899 is tho latest for which tho full import mid export statistics of the United Kingdom have been available to us. Slight changes may during the past tAvo years, have taken place in the relative proportions drawn from various countries, but the analysis for 1899 is in all probability substantially the same iv its "essential features as those for 1900 and* 1901 will prove. The returns for 1899 show that in tho case of nearly all the imported foodstuffs the bulk camo from foreign countries, and uot from colonies or dependencies of tbo Empire. Oi live stock, oxen, bulls, sheep and lambs, 1,105,187 weie imported at v value of £9,413,658. Of these 949,756, valued at£7,766,316, camo lrom foreign countries and 155,431 valued at £1,647,342 from Greater Britain. Tho totul import of frosh meat amounted to 7,917,887cwt, «t £14,187,622, of which 5,078,020cwt, at £9,600,697 wus from foreign countries, and 2,839,867cwt, at £4,586,925 from Greater Britain. For salted and preserved meat the figuies were, total, 1,580,083 .vt »L £3,315,837, from foreign countik-i 1,251.327cwt, at £2,516,174, from Greater Britain, at £799,663. The total import of bacon and htt»in was 7,783,209 ut £15,034,102. 7,178,355cwt, at £13,430,320, beins? AOlllA 0111 foreign countries, and 004,854cwt~, at £1,603,782 from Greater Britain. From this it will bo been that tho United Kingdom imports live and dead meat to the amount of £33,313,507 from fouign couutries against £8,637,712 from other parts of the Empire. Broadly spunking, Groatcr Britain would have to multiply it« output by four <ukl a half in order to supply ike Old Countty's demand. A dut} upon foreigu meat, even if it led to a sum!, increase of tho coloninl import at tho espouse of tho foreign import, would mean taxing more thsvn three-quarters of tho moat-stuffs imported into the United Kingdom. It m worth noting that moro than 60 per cent, of the foreign bacon and fresh meat comes from tho United States. That great nnd populous country could also increase its export to Groat Britain in a way that tho colonies could not. It might, therefore, be possible for the English-speaking world to keep the United Kingdom supplied with all the meat it requites, although it would not, at auy rule for very many years to come, be possible for the Empiro to do so. Let us pass on from meat to dairy produce. The total import of butter wus 3,589,851cwt at £17,213,516. Of this foreign countries supplied 2,762,744cv<t ut £14,241,086, and British posbossious 627,107ewt at £2,972,430. The following table gives the quantity und value from the chief contributing countries and colonies : —

Thus Denmark alone exports to tho United Kingdom more than twice as much butter as the whole of the colonies put together. The colonies would have to send more than five times their present export in order to meet the demand. It should also be remembered that a very large quantity of margarine and other such substitutes for butter is' imported into the United Kingdom. In 1899 the quantity was 562,830cwt. (valued at £2,648,761) » or nearly half as much again an the quantity of colonial butter imported. Nearly all this came from Holland. In the cose of cheese, the 1 colonies supplied rather more than half the total import. The amount taken from foreign countries >was 1,013,0150wt, at £2,413,344, and from British possessions 1,371, 054cwt., at £3,089,660, making in nil 2,384,069cwt., at £5,503,004. More than 50 per cent, of the foreign import came from the United States, and no I«bs than 1,337,198cwt. out of the total colonial import of 1,371,054cwt. from Canada. Tho other great division of foodstuffs includes grain and meal. In 1899, the United Kingdom imported 66,636,078cwt. of wheat at ££4,281,219. Foreign countries supplied 49,484,348cwt. at £16,580,355, and British possessions 17,151,730cwt., at £5,700,864. To the foreign supply the United States contributed 34,650,048cwt., at £11,811,700, while to the British supply India contributed 8,192,2000wt., :at £2,661,167, or nearly ono-half, and Canada 5,256,500, at £1,801,953, or nearly one-third. Of barley, foreign countries supplied 16.817,658cwt., at £4,848,180, and British possessions 371,700ewt, at £101,952, the total quantity being 17,189,358cwt., at £4,950,132. Canada vnw reaponsible for almost tho whole of the colonial import and the United States for about 11 per cent, of tho foreign import. The total import of oats -was 15,626,730cwt., at £4,199,724, the foreign portion being 13,y0(,680cwt., at £3,734,695, and the colonial 1,659,060cwt., at £465,029. Tho United States supplied more than half the foreign import, and Canada almost the whole of the colonial. The foreign import of make was 57,374,110cwt., at £11,891,111, and th» Britiifc import

5,367,240cwt , at £1,086,914, making together G2,741,350e\\t., at £12,97^,025. Tho United HULes. njnt 39,460,4000w1., at £8,105,167, ;uxl Canada 5,360,700cwt., at £1,086,621. 'J'ho total nnpuit of flour was 22,945,708ev5t., at £10,700,980. 20,418,708cwt., at £9,533,377, being foreign, mostly from the United States, and 2,527,000cwt., ut £1,167,603, being from British possessions. Most of the oatmeal and maize-meal aUo came from the United States. All these fiijures indicate how largo is the supply of primary foodstuffs which the Old Country is compelled to draw from foreign countries. Thov prove that under present conditions the Empire Ik far from self-contained, and that a Customs duty, on these nrticlec, oven if colonial produce were admitted free, would seriously affect the working classes. At the same time, it is undeniable that the Empire plus the United States could keep the United Kingdom in necessary foodstuffs without the aid of foreign countries.

Denmark ».. France „j -„.. Holland >.\ if.i Sweden ►.« *,< U.S.A. »., :.., Russia ..< •„» Unnada ... (.-•• Victoria ... -.« Zealand .., N.S.W South Australia ... Queensland 1,430,052 7,553,436 353,942 1,908,848 204,810 1,417,641 245,599 1,246,137 159,137 704,061 138.938 685,493 250,083 1,113,956 211,744 1,051,358 111,639 543,367 43,561 215,274 7,072 34,875 1,792 9,018