PREFERENTIAL TRADE. TO THE EDITOR

Evening Post, Volume LXVIII, Issue 90, 13 October 1904, Page 2

PREFERENTIAL TRADE. TO THE EDITOR

Sir — At this juncture it may not be out of place to warn the people of this colony against becoming entangled in that species of Imperialism of which Britain now seems to be growing tired. No doubt an Imperial Council would suit our flamboyant Premier admirably, but it would scarcely be to the interests of this colony to send to London a representative with power to commit New Zealand to a policy that has never been seriously discussed here. That Britain is unmistakably opposed to Protection must be evident to all who have followed the results of the recent by-elections. In these circumfetances nothing would be more impertinent than the further intrusion of Mr. Seddon's "golden sovereigns" economy into the domain of the British fiscal controversy. New Zealand Protectionists do not want any reduction in the duty on manufactured goods, either in favour of Britain or of anybody else. And Freetraders are not so Machiavellian as to attempt to secure suoh a reduction by a policy that would foist Protection upon Britain with the aid of the preferential swindle. We have it on the authority of Mr. Chamberlain that preference by increase of duties against the foreigner is of little or no value to Britain. At the Colonial Conference he said: "So long as a preferential tariff, and even a munificent preference, is sufficiently protective to exclude us altogether from your markets, or nearly so, it is no satisfaction to us that you have imposed even greater disabilities on goods coming from foreign countries." Mr. Chamberlain says further, speaking of the disappointing results of the Canadian preference : "The very valuable experience which we have derived from the history of the Canadian tariff shows that, while we may most readily and most gratefully accept from you any preference which you may be willing voluntarily to accord to us, we cannot bargain with you for it ; we cannot pay for it unless you go much further and enable us to enter your home market on terms of greater-equal-ity." In other words, if preference is to "com* off," the tariff of New Zealand must be reduced to revenue proportions, and the protection at present afforded to the boot and shoe trade, to the harness and saddlery trade, to the woollen trade, must be taken away ; - and this not because it would benefit New Zealand, but because some chimerical notion about the Hempire demands it. The Balfour Government has learned from the results of the by-elections a wholesome dread of -dissolution. It dares not appeal to the people. And when a strong -Radical > Government is returned at the next election, a Government that is certain to contain Mr. John Burns and other stalwart^, the people of this colony do not want to gain an undeserved snub through the ignorance and vanity of Mr. Seddon. Surely Mr. Rigg and other gentlemen who have condemned the policy of truckling to Chinese Chamberlain will give the people a further lead upon this and kindred subjects. — I am, etc., NEW ZEALAND FOR THE NEW ZEALANDERS. Wellington, 10th October.