PREFERENTIAL TRADE.

Evening Star, Issue 12068, 14 December 1903, Page 6

PREFERENTIAL TRADE.

Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright.

SIR W. HARCOURT ON DUMPING,

CONDEMNS A FOOD TAX,

LONDON, December 13.

Sir W. Y. Harconrt, speaking at Tredegar, admitted that dumping required very serious consideration. He was prepared to study any proposal, but he did not believe that the taxation of food would remedy dumping, which was the outcome of Trusts and the result of Protection. He criticised Mr Chamberlain’s scheme in detail, and asked what they would get in return for the taxation of food. There was no evidence that Preference would create a material bond between the Motherland and the colonies. He would like to See the wbeatSelds ox England more cultivated, but to talk of doing that by means of a 2s duty on grain was nonsense. Germany was unable to do it with 7s, and France was unable to do it with a 12s duty. In order to make Britain self-supporting a duty of 20 s would not suffice, while to deprive themselves of the world’s wheatfields would be madness, and tie the hands of future Chancellors of the Exchequer. The Government were derelict. They had lost their best officers, and were washed about by waves over which they had no control.

A PERTINENT QUESTION,

DO WE MEAN THE SAME THING?

LONDON, December 15.

Mr Edward Fry, speaking at Leeds, asked whether we were sure the colonies meant the same thing as ourselves by a Preferential Tariff. He said: “We heard of their pasing many resolutions, but it was plain their idea wag to increase the duties against foreigners and not diminish them against the British. Mr Chamberlain’s proposals to drag us into Protection would bring with it heart-burnings! and disappointment, and lead to political log-rolling among people who would be seekingto enrich themselves at the community’s expense.”

UNIONISM v. PROTECTION,

LONDON, December 15.

The Duke of Devonshire advises all electors who sympathise with the Free Food League not to support, those Unionists who express sympathy with Mr Chamberlain’s policy.

THE SHIPPING INDUSTRY.

LONDON, December 13.

Sir Thomas Sutherland, chairman of directors of the Peninsular and Oriental Company, presiding at a meeting of the company, said that he was confident that the Australian trade would speedily revive. He did not desire to enter into the fiscal controversy, hut so far as the revenue of eightv millions of British shipping being available to pay an equivalent amount of imports was concerned, it would be a more correct estimate to say that owing to shipowners’ heavy disbursements only one-half was available for the payment of imports.

A CANADIAN OPINION.

EFFECT OF A FOOD TAX

AN ANGLO-SAXON ALUANCE

OTTAWA, December 15. (Received December 14. at 7.13 a-m.)

The Eight Hon. Sir R. J. Cartwright, Canadian Minister of Trade and Commerce, speaking at Toronto, said that if Mr Chaim berlain cays he can tax foods from all countries without increasing the price to the consumer, he is wrong. Britain can force reciprocity on the United States, or stimulate immigration and the food production of countries outside the United States, or pave the way to a trade alliance of the English-speaking people. He believed that the United States were willing to enter into reciprocal trade relations, thus giving the Anglo-Saxon race the control of three and a-half continents'. If England taxed food imports the tax would Lit the American farmer so bait]—affecting his position by 50 per cent,—that he would renounce his Protection. The result would be an alliance to the advantage of Britain, America, and Canada.

THE PIG-IRON TRADE,

A PLAIN DECLARATION

LONDON. December 13. Mr Jaruey Ribon, apropos o{ the alleged decline in the iron trade, declare? that within the past forty years his firm’s wages had increased from 28*' 3d per man per week <>f sixty hours to 37s 9d of fifty-three hours. "Our pig-iron production,” he says, “for the first half of the present year is nearly a record, while'the United States production is decreasing.”

BRAZILIAN COFFEE. RIO DL JANEIRO. December 13. (Received December Id. at 8.45 a.m.) The Brazilian Chamber of Deputies have authorised a 60 per cent, reduction in duties on all products from countries admitting Brazilian coffee dutv free.