TARIFF WALLS

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XIII, Issue 285, 17 November 1923, Page 5

TARIFF WALLS

Britain's Disadvantages THE GOVERNMENT'S POLICY. - REPLY TO LABOUR LEADER. I MR. LLOYD GEORGE’S SARCASM. (By Cable.—Preen Association.—Copyright.) London, Nov. 15. j In the House of Commons, .Mr. Ramsay MacDonald, in moving the ’ censure motion, which was rejected by 285 votes to 190, spoke for an hour J and a quarter He was fluent and 3 eloquent, though he seemed at times . a little weary. He aroused laughter j by suggesting that the political hori- , zon was darkened by a flight of homeB ward bound prodigal sons. Th© Government’s fiscal programme was like a J pig in a poke, though he was doubtful if it. even contained a pig. b The Labour leader pressed th© Gov- > ernment to define what it meant by b meat. What Mr. Joseph Chamberlain _ said twenty years ago was true to-day. i “You cannot give Imperial preference 1 without imposing a tax on food,” Mr. f MacDonald concluded. “Th© Prime t Minister is going to smashv our export - and carrying trade.” Mr. Baldwin commenced his speech x with a review of the European situa--7 tion, and then passed to a clear . enunciation of the tariff policy, which aroused continual Conservative cheers, b It was easy for critics to say, remarked . the Premier, that there had been a lack j of foresight in connection with the un- - employed. The Government had hoped - things would get better, but owing to > the occupation of the Ruhr a settlel ment in Europe had been postponed i for years. This was the outstanding 5 reason for the proposed fiscal changes. j “In every market are m ®t by > higher tariffs. In America th© tariff wall is 75 per cent, higher than before the war, in Italy 100 per cent, and Spain 125 per cent, higher, while a greater peril for the future is India’s right to impose tariffs.” Mr. Baldwin said there was a possibility of enormously increased exports from Germany when that country ' began to trade freely. The most ob- ; vious place for these goods to go® first > was to the most open and most free • market Germany could get. The Safei guarding of Industries Act was far too ■ limited in its application. Mr. Baldwin concluded: ‘‘l would ■ not risk the party of which I have been elected leader so recently unless I was convinced from the bottom of my ■ heart that what I propose is right. : (Cheers), I do not claim infallibility. ■ I may be wrong. If so, prove me so ‘ in the country.” Mr. Lloyd George followed. He said • the Prime Minister’s speech would • deepen the amazement of the country I at the ill-considered, precipitate and foolish decision to plunge into a general election. The only achievement of the Government had been to promote Liberal unity. Th© Prime Minister had raised an old controversy which not only had divided the nation but his own Cabinet. At that moment one of his pockets was bulging with the resignation of Lord Derby. (Opposition laughter and Liberal cries “Deny it.”) Mr. Lloyd George: “For a week Mr. Baldwin has been imploring Lord Birkenhead to save him from disaster. 1 expected to hear from the Prime Minister something about his policy for th© dominions. What is it? Proposals were put forward at the Imperial Conference with a real desire to unite and strengthen the Empire and promote trade relations between the dominions and this country. Has the Prime Minister nothing better than preserved crayfish? It is a tinker’s policy. What the dominions want is

to bring their products here under conditions which will enable them to compete favourably with every other country in th© world. In 1907 the Liberal Government put forward a policy for improved transport relations with the dominion. It was turned down because the Prime Minister of Australia was waiting for tariff reform. The policy of 1907 was better than the Government’s wretched policy of preference for tinned stuffs. The proposal is to increase taxation in order to relieve unemployment by putting more money into the pockets of the farmer landowner,” Mr. Kirkwood interjected: You taught them those tricks. Mr. Lloyd George: Instead of devoting his time to the settlement of Europe, the Prime Minister is tearing down the system which, with all its defects, has accumulated the wealth which enabled Britain to go through the most exhausting war. Mrs. Philipson, in her maiden speech, congratulated the Prim© Minister on his courageous and sincere action. For the first time women had a chance of judging this kind of thing. They would be a big factor in the situation. The tariff on goods could be abandoned if it were not a success, but Labour’s policy spelt ruin Mr. J. R. Clynes twitted the Government with first committing itself to a policy and then proceeding with an inquiry into its effects. Sir P. Lloyd-Greame wound up the debate. He said the Government’s solution was advisedly designed to meet unique conditions, especially competition from countries paying lower wages. Mr. Asquith, in th© course of a speech at Albert Hall opening the election campaign, said that while the Baldwin Government was studiously vague and nebulous the dominion Premiers afforded a refreshing contrast. Mr. Bruce had said that if there was to be no tax on wheat or meat and if we were going also to shut the door on other methods r we had closed the door to a great extent to any real stride forward in Empire development. So out of the mouth of the dominion statesman who was most pronounced in his views on Imperial preference, the Government’s policy was foredoomed and condemned in advance.—(A. and N.'Z.)

GOVERNMENT SUPPORTED BY INDUSTRIALISTS. (Received 17, 11.10 a.m.) London, Nov. 16. Th© industrial group of members of the House of Commons adopted a resolution supporting Mr. Baldwin’s policy as in the interests of British industries and commerce. SNAP ELECTION DEPLORED. LIBERAL POLITICIAN’S VIEWS. “Th© British Prime Minister, although he has many reasons for hastening a general election, has the balance dead against him; it would have been far better for him to have carried on the Government for a couple of years, as was understood at the election of 1922, which was fought on a plain issue to put into power a Government that would exrcise a steadying influence on European and Home affairs,’’ said Sir Edwin Cornwall in an interview with a “Dominion” reporter on Thursday, Sir Edwin speaks from inner knowledge of British political affairs, for he was Chief Whip of the Liberal Party for eight years, and onlv retired last year from his seat at Bethnal Green, which he represented in the House of Commons since 1905. The announcement of the general election came as a great shock to Sir Edwin Cornwall, for had he been at home, he would, he said, have been a candidate. “I am very sorry thM Mr Rilrfwin

©lection at this stage,’ ’he said. “I am strongly of the opinion that a period of as much political quiet as possible is needed in Great Britain, while the state of Europe is so uncertain, and things so bad at Home. Although I am a Coalition Liberal, I feel it would have b<jen advantageous t© the United Kingdom to have followed out the Conservative policy. The step now taken by Mr. Baldwin will arouse the fiercest political elements in Great Britain, because, whatever views people may take as to th© merits of protection or free trade, to put such an issue before the British electorate means the keenest possible political strife, that men who have been working together sine© the outbreak of the Avar will be permanently estranged, and that whatever is done by any Government after the election must be done by an. absolutely party Government. The hope vanishes that all the best elements of the two old parties will work together to solve the profound difficulties with which the nation and the Empire are surrounded. The real test of the ability of the Conservatives to carry on would better be found in keeping in office longer, rather than taking a snap election.” Snap elections were not unknown, continued Sir Edwin Cornwall, but, on a question of free trade and protection, it was clear to anyone taking an impartial view that that was a- subject which the electors wanted ample time to consider in all its bearings. Much as the elections turned the Government towards protection—which he thought it would do—it would create a. good deal of trouble for the future. He did not envy the task of any Government that was returned in Great Britain to put into practice the principles of protection. When people left off considering it in the abstract, and considered it from the standpoint of the specific duties that would have to be imposed, they would appreciate what protection meant to the United Kingdom. A cure for unemployment might be : the reason for Mr. Baldwin taking up protection thought Sir Edwin Cornwall, but ne would find that he would throw many more out of employment. Then again, he might have made up his mind that, in his next Budget, he was going to bring forward some fiscal changes, and that, as he succeeded the late Mr. Bonar Law only by the result of a party vote at the Conservative Club, he did not feel that he had sufficient authority from the country to make any material change from Mr. Bonar Law’s policy; therefore, he would go to the country to ascertain whether he was confirmed in his position by a vote of the electors, instead of being open to the attack that would be directed on a Budget involving fiscal change.