“THE CASE AGAINST FREE TRADE.”

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume I, Issue 246, 4 October 1911, Page 3

“THE CASE AGAINST FREE TRADE.”

MR. < HAMBEKLAIN’S FAITH

.Mr. < liainbt rlam ha* wrdlt n tin* following Fit face to the new book by Archdeacon ('iiiiuiughain entithd ' The (’a-'e Ag ain.-1 Free Trade."

The opening years of the presenti centui.v saw the end «.f one chapti .-i in I he history of i he British Empire. ! With lite Ft -ace of Vi n-t nigiiig the' < ra of expansion w:a* th finitely <•)>>>- i rd. Henceforth no t xt<nsion of u r-; ritory is either to be ixpeeteel or de- 1 sired. Win n the Ameri'-an Colonies; were lost, not from hack of got,el intentions, but froni failure to apple-’ ciate and sympathise* with colonial i si-litinieail and aspirations, it was : still open to our forefathers to create j a new empire ita Canada. Africa, and : Aatstralia. To-day no such opport am-! ity exists, or tail ever exist again. , The world is occupied. The a a>t > blanks on the maps of our youth | have been explore al ami opened up to I civilisation. The territory eompri.*-, rd in tin in has been ajipurtaollt d among the Great Powers. There aie no ownerless lands to which we <>.• others can look as tiae sphere oi future activity, or as compensation fo.' | tiie loss of a province or a dotmnm.i. The future of the Empire lie* henceforward. not in its power to annex in w territories, but in its capacity to unite existing dominions and develop existing ri *• .iirees. This is a mo: e hmnditim. but not a les* ddlieiiit ' ta*k. To it till our efforts should be dtr< ct'al whilst the nations that com- ].(«> tiu* Empire are still plastic, ami ' ba fora* the* growth of distinct national a-haracu ri'tia * .-nd ai?. erga-nt n ational intere-t- h:ts proa ea da d to saia-ii a pa int licit "I'-’it is m>w p<>--sibla* iia* for a v< r l>i reme impa-oddi*. anal a.pportunities which are still within oatr grasp have finally pass, d away. It i* a commonplace of political *tmlv that lb.- tairitoii-il exp-immn a>f tlu* Empire was *.n the* main haphaztiral afliir. British Govarm Bients. in spite of the* perhaps m.t i unnatural suspicions of foreign poolers. have pursmd no settled or re asoned policy of expansion. Mon* often than not. when proclaiming :,ii anmxatmn e.r a protectorate, tha-y have* been the unwilling agent* of fan-cis stronger than themselves. Xgain ami again, liny have surrenderee! what Bi it ish soldiers have roilaiuvrid: attain ami again they have n fuseal to take what Britidi c.xplorhave offered. But the genms ot the rice ha* brooked no denial, ami in spite of al. finite refusal- or relm tant acquiesci nee on the part of ns rulers, the Empire ha* grown to ba tlu* va*L accumulation of dominion* ami dependencies whose re prc<e nta- ’ tiva s are* now assembled in Lomlon for the coronation of tiie bovereign. { We have* been, on the whole, won--1 derfully fortunate*, but we cannot trust for ever to good hick. Success ! breed* envv : jealous eyes watch our pr.mres*. m.ji-ure cur strength a.r 1 weakm-s. ami seek out the joints ot 1 out armour. We* ar.' g’< at in ter • itorv. strong in numbers, ami rich '’in va't but ‘umleve lopeel resources P >llt our union i* <-f the* slightest, and lour development has scircely begun ! Are they al*o to be left to chance* . 1 Xie they also to lie the blind sport I ( ',f forces which we but dimly unele r--1-stami and do not seek to control . 1 Or is an effort to be made* to find, i ami having foiiml to pursue, a eomj nron policv by which the* deicmp- > Pl( . n t of each may be made to serve I the mtere*ts of the " hole, and the* Strength of the whole to safeguar, land promote the development of i This is the imperial problem of to- . dav. Conference after coiiference rue’-ets to di-cu** it. yet l ow little ' nal prmzre<* is made . I* >t not vorth while* to pau*e and ask our- ! whv .' "We call our kinsmen to'our eoune'ib." ’>ut wh<*n we get 'them there we re-fuse to listen to ; their advice. On one subject ami mi i one- subject a'.om* they have throiigh--1 out -poken with a *ingle voice. < om- ! nl(II1 interests are the pledge ot common action. A eornmon trade policy L the imlispem-able* basis of a .omI]lO ii imperial policy Agatu and again, e.penly or tacitly the ruleis „f the Empire are brought back >■> their dise-.m-ion* to this fundamental I * The great dominions are willing . iv.eal.me re fuse. They e pen the door t„ u* ; in rmurn we slam it in their faces. An insular policy, adopte-d bv U* under totally different eomliI ti'on*. both economic and political. : at a time when our industrial st” ! pre maey was unchallenged, ami the iEmp.re k-*!f Mgaided a- a buiehmU(lll! e obligation to be snaken off as -....a a* possible .is still plead, d as ■■)) in-ai-e rl'ole bar r.uw twit we .u« i subjected to ever-increasing <e»..o.nie competition ; and the 1< a - n of the- opportunity aftoided .mr imperial petition is/m words at l,a-t. an idea coinimm to men u! at. 1 Sm h a Mt.* of thing- einnm !«'>• Vc are in a po- : .ti‘>n of un-tahle 1 equilibrium. The early prophe cues 1 t ,f Tariff Reformer are bmng ogK ! tlFi) surely realtwd. and the neglect of our opport unities, coupled wi > . the inereasinc pre-*ure ot the c |IUI . police of foreign countries, has already driven the (iovernnient ~f O’W- .mr uomtn on- t*> • ntt into tho-e close* ti. - ot b eip>-ocal ! Pvt fen nee with a foreign countiy 'which oar refusal, and that ah me. , t ,. ls pr< v. nt.d thim from e*tabl..h ;-vr w ; th th'* Mother Land. ‘ \ t -m-h a time Dr. Cunnmglmm oii ti- u- t*. think ..nt again tm* . f i.o’i.-v With the I fnlVldat Kins ot OU! poo’ ? • i vi rsies of the* past we have no - let the dead bury their COThcUI!- L .t,n TiT-O- ■ .1. . r t Our bu>inr>< 1 ’ a k *''" «.( bUhly ~.l ..ni’ir.’- O' '' l ™"'. l ;, , • , r d consistent pokey. 1 ■ ippmph -f chanee. tm*. disoreleiyl j .<dfi*h romp, tit ion ot -.mmeinate; • -i- ’ ’»■)) interests without regard :*ij• iimai oHt i‘ , tb .* jwtwam-nt w.ltare of th übo’e. Dr. ITummghnm plead' ~.der to be e v.deid ~ll\ ; l : -orreeim nt t ;l replaie <>■ <*■ • , ;’-Lt<nt policy, adjusted to .0-11-Lite '■ ml- in place of the l’--*P hazard i plav of blind and unnireeG d ton - iHls c-omperem.e h mujuestu.md.

He has devoted y. ar- to the* study of < eonomic quc*s:t'ons. ami especially to the growth <>f English trade ami commerce. No man has a more* intimate knowle*dge* of the legislative* history of trade, or has studied more deeply its effects upon emr people. For his eeemomies are never of the dry-as-dust order. He is ever sensible of the great political and human force s which modify ami ov< rrule the theoytic working <>t <<-<»- nomie: laws, nor ehres: he confuse tin* iru re accumulation ot w e alth by individuals with the* spread of national welfare* or the growth e.l nation,.l and impe rial life*. A study from his peri of the bearings of our Free* Trade* policy on our imperial duty would at all times command re.spi*etful attention. -Xt this moment, when yet another ( onf. r-e*m-e is wearing to its close*, with many hopes disappointed ami little practical result to show for its patriotic labours, his book will lie* welcomed by every one who shares l.is desire "to cultivate a better limit tstamling of imperial problems and a fuller seiisc* of imperial duty. .1. (HAMBERLAIN. Highbury, June 11. DU 1 •