PREFERENTIAL TRADE.

Evening Star, Issue 12093, 14 January 1904, Page 6

PREFERENTIAL TRADE.

Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright MB BALFOUR AT MANCHESTER.

AN (SENT AIO) MUSTY FORMULAS. AN IMMOVABLE FREETRADER. EVERYTHING JUST THE SAME! LONDON, January IS. ; Mr Balfour, addressing lie Conservative Club at Manchester, said that the Unionists must meet new circumstances by new expedients, and new diseases by new remedies, ■and not be content, parrot-like, with unintelligent and unintelligible repetitions of ansient, musty, inaccurate formulas. ,H« beßeved that the Committee of Imperial Defence would play a useful part in promoting the closer union of the Empire. Every part should share the Empire’s labors, including India. The other day a Canadian Minister of War attended and assisted in their deliberations. Possibly that principle would soon be universally applied. U the Australian Commonwealth wished to discuss anv question relating to Imperial defence the Committee would welcome any Minister or accredited representative. A WASTE OP WORDS. THE DO-NOTHING POLICY. LONDON, January 13. Sir Henry Fowler, M.P., speaking at Wolverhampton, attacked what he termed Mr Balfour’s “remarkable web of dialectic sophistry,” which he declared did not v reveal his policy. Despite Mr Balfour’s ridicule, he maintained that the terms “Freetrade” and “Protection” meant to-day what they meant fffty-cight years ago. He did not dispute the right of any individual statesman or political party to reopen the great controversy in the light of half a century’s ■ experience, but the nation alone must decide. It was impossible to link up tbe Empire by abolishing all protective duties, because the colonies insisted on keeping protective duties high enough to exclude British manufactures, though willing to raise them higher against foreigners. It was absolutely impossible to tax food. We should lose the control of our taxation and create friction between the several colonies, and between them and the Motherland. We also would be at a great disadvantage in the event of war. The proposed fiscal arrangement with the colonies had been a very poor flirtation. The colonies had made no offer. Mr Balfour wanted power to negotiate commercial treaties, but he already possessed it, subject to the sanction of Parliament. It would be a gross violation of the constitutional system to transfer to the Executive, free from parliamentary control, the power of taxation. Such a transfer ought to be resisted to the uttermost. Regarding “dumping,” it was very serious to tamper with raw material. If a foreign combination or trust exported to Britain at a nominal price, with the aim and intent to injure and ultimately ruin British industry, that would be a state of commercial war, and we might be justified in dealing with a hostile country by exceptional measures. Any scheme of retaliation must ultimately rest upon the taxation of food and raw materia]. It was an insult to intelligence to pretend that cheaper tea and ■tobacco would be equivalent to dearer bread. Mr Chamberlain’s proposals mast increase the cost of living to all. If wages row it would only be by active trades unions. The only new industry created would be more Customs officers and smugglers. Instead of our industries vanishing, tbe latest returns showed an unparalleled volume of foreign trade, also an in crease in the British exports of manufactured goods. The home trade showed every sign of prosperity. Higher wages increased purchasing power and shortened hours. The country would commit a gigantic blunder if it allowed the principles of Freetrade to be tampered with. He would do his utmost to avert so great a catastrophe. GERMANY BACKS DOWNV MB CHAMBERLAIN’S VICTORY. LONDON, January 13. Germany has informed Lord Lansdowne that the German Federal Council will no longer raise objections to Preferential concessions between the British colonies or between the colonies and the Motherland. The modus vivendl between Britain and Germany rendered possible the advantages being extended to the Capo and New Zealand. Germany desires her commercial relations with Canada to be agsimilniwd to the rest of the Empire. MALTESE MEAT DUTIES. LONDON, January 12. The Right Hon. Alfred Lyttelton, Colonial Secretary, informed the Agents-General that he shared Mr Chamberlain’s opinion that the Malta duties on frozen meat are not unfair to importers. The AgentsGeneral are dissatisfied, and hoped for a better result if the matter were submitted to the new Committee in Malta. THE UNOFFICIAL COMMISSION. LONDON, January 13. .The following are additional members of the Tariff Reform Commission : —Messrs J. Boulton (chairman of the firm of Bart, Boulton, and Hayward, chemical manufacturers and timber exporters), J. G. Colmer (late secretary to lie Canadian High Commissioner), John Dennis (Covent Garden fruit salesman), Sir Charles Alfred Elliott (ex-Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal, who represents India), Mr Vicary Gibbs (C.), M.P., and Mr W. J. Gouiding (chemical manure manufacturer,, representing Ireland), Messrs J. M. Harris (managing director of the largest firm of English bacon-cnrers), F. Levenstein (president of the Manchester Chamber of Commerce, representing the dyeing interests), Robert Littlejohn (director of the African Banking Corporation, representing South Africa), Sir Westby Perceval (representing New Zealand), Messrs C. J. Phillips (deputy chairman of the firm of J. Wotney, Combe, and Reid, brewers), Francis Tonsley (president of the National Association of Master Bakers and Confectioners)- This completes the Commission. It is intended to constitute a sub-committee of agricultural experts, who will report to the Commission. Mr F. Levenstein has resigned the presidency of the Manchester Chamber of Commerce owing to his appointment to the Tariff Commission. BACK TO THE FOLD. LONDON, January 13.' (Received January 14, at 9.20 a.m.) Lord Northbrook rejoins the Liberal party owing to tbe Government’s attitude on tbe fiscal question. THE EMPIRE’S FOOD SUPPLY. ' LONDON, January 13. (Received January 14, at 7.51 a,m.) Mr 0. C. Lance, the New South Wales Commercial Agent, read a paper at the Royal Colonial Institute on Australia as a food-producing, country. He stated that refrigeration may prove a potent factor in the Empire. Much lower prices in’meat are probable. Australia ought to be able to land mutton and beef in london under 2sd per pound. He expected that in the near future there would be a considerable development in the wheat export. Butter was probably the most promising of Australia’s food, products. He predicted an enormous increase with the return of normal seasons. He believed that proper organisation would make the Empire mainly self-sufficient in food supplies, wxfhwri increasing the ultimate cost- Sir. Westby Perceval presided. !