The Star. SATURDAY, APRIL 9, 1910. THE TARIFF REFORM AMENDMENT.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LVII, Issue LVII, 9 April 1910, Page 4

The Star.

SATURDAY, APRIL 9, 1910. THE TARIFF REFORM AMENDMENT.

Delivered evfl«*y evening by 6 o'clook in Hawera. Manaia, Normanby, Okaiawa, Eltham, Mangatoki, Kaponga, Awatuna, Opunake. Otakeho, Manutahi. Alton. Hurleyville. Fatea. and Waverler.

"This House views with anxiety the state of trade and employment and the failure of Ministers to recognise the gravity of the situation, and regrets that there is no mention in tHe King's Speech of any proposals for enlarging the market for British and Irish products and increasing the demand for labor by a reform of our fiscal system which would promote the growth and stability of our home trade, provide means for negotiating for the miti-

gation of foreign tariffs, and de- ' veloping our over-sea trade, through the establishment of a systen oi mutual preference between the different portions of the Empire." The files of the London papers just to hand contain very interesting reports ot the debate which took place in the House of Commons, during the last week in February, upon Mr Austen Chamberlain's tariff reform amendment. In essence the opposing arguments were along the well-worn lines — dogmatic and inconclusive. Both sides to the controversy sought evidence in foreign fields and each drew the conclusion best suited to the particular political faith he professed. For instance:

Mr A. Chamberlain.

' 'From every source came a consensus of opinion that the Germans had made vast strides since the establishment of the Bismarck tariff. Their advance in wages had been, greater than ours, and every deputation of working men which had visited that country, whatever their .political or fiscal views, had come back expressing their surprise and astonishment at the comfort and well-being which prevailed. The Birmingham brassworkers found that seven articles of food were dearer in Birmingham than in Berlin, and seven dearer in Berlin than in Birmingham ; and among those cheaper in Berlin were milk, eggs, fowls, and meat — and home-grown meat, killed in the municipal abattoirs."

Mr Lloyd-George.

Mr Lloyd-George .laid down four main propositions: The first was that this country with its Free Trade system still possessed the largest international trade in |the world. The second was that we had the largest export of manufactured goods in the world. The third proposition was that we .had -the greatest international carrying trade in the world. The fourth was that we paid higher ■wages than in any other country in Europe. Mr G. D. Farer (11,, Clapham), interrupted with an observation about black bread and offal.

Mr Lloyd-George : Does .he or anyone deny that horseflesh is consumed in Germany by the working population? Is it denied or that they eat black bread ?

Mr Faber: Rye *read. Mr Lloyd George: Is it not black? (Cries of "Yes," and "JSo.") The Germans themselves call it black bread. That is how you order it; of course, it is black bread. (Cries of "No," and "Yes.") Some lion, members say it is excellent stuff — excellent stuff for the workmen. (Laughter.) Mr Chamberlain charged me with .having said it was food we should not give to our tramps. In Devonshire I advised them te test it. I said: "The next time any come round you give them a good chunk of German black bread and you will got rid of them — (laughter) — as effectivoly as if you gave them rat poison." (Loud laughter.) Let him try it — I mean on bona-fide tramps. (Laughter.) • Now I come to carrion. Is it denied there is a very large consumption of horse-flesh in Germany? (Cries of , "Yes.") Very well, I will give tho figures. I have the figures of a town in Germany — Chemnitz — supplied by the slaughterers in the municipal slaughter-houses in connection with the food supply, and they show that last year 646,0001b in weight of horseflesh was used for the consumption of the prosperous inhabitants. (Laughter.) That is a pretty considerable quantity — a very great deal more than we have in Clapham. (Laughter.) For the same year for food 15,0001b of dog was consumed. I should call dog offal, but hon. members opposite would probably regard it as a delicacy. Let. Hon. members, opposite reflect upon, some of the perils of Tariff Reform. (Loud laughter and cheers.) Meat in Germany is dog cheap, and that is about the only cheapness there is about German meat. ("Oh, oh.") Wo had black bread in this country in the days of the old Corn Laws, in the black era of Protection, and I earnestly hope this country will not commit the folly of re-entering that era. (Loud Ministerial cheers.)" Of course Mr Lloyd-George quickly had his reply. Mr Bonar Law said that the Chancellor in his election speeches implied that the German workmen were in the habit regularly of living on horseflesh, but in 1908 1000 tons of horseflesh was -sold in the East End of London. (A voicei : "For cats' meat.") Mr Bonar Law added that the great bulk of that was not used for cats' meat, but for tho food of the poor. If this I week's report of the starvation results in Freetrade England during 1908 had been known then, no dbubt they would have ' been fired likewise at Mr Lloyd-George's head. We know of no political issue so full as fiscalism is of anomalies, and of contradictions which look like facts. The debate, unfortunately, resolved itself into a controversy, Freetrade versus Protection, without any sustained endeavor to demonstrate the difference between British freetrade as it exists now and an Empire freetrade which tho preferentialists ultimately advocate. Mr Chamberlain, in his opening remarks, said lie did Jiot expect his amendment to be carried, but he pointed out that four years ago the Government, by a majority of 478 to 90, passed a resolution expressing their fidelity to the principles of Freetrade. "But," he asked, "could they get similar figures now?" In proof of the change that had been undergone Mr Chamberlain's amendment was only lost by a small number of votes — 285 to 254. And in this connection it is interesting to note that tho day before yesterday in the Hon.se of Commons a Freetrade amendment to a Tariff Reform motion was only carried by 235 to 202.