FISCAL UNION OF THE EMPIRE.

Mataura Ensign, 24 May 1909, Page 3

FISCAL UNION OF THE EMPIRE.

Mil BALFOUR'S PKOPIiEOI'. ~ • LONDON. May 22. Mr A. J. Ball'our leader of tlio Opposition) addressing the Women's Unionist and Taritl ltel'orm Association at St. James' 'theatre, declared that there was a universal impression among all classes in all parts of the country that Tariff Heform had got to come, and was coming. It was impossible -to continue piling up direct taxation on the small sections of tlie community, heaping llii-ect taxation on one on two articles of general consumption. If they were to be thus inevitably driven |to some kind of general tariff it would be folly not to use it in Bttfe-guarding thoir trade and .uniting them moro closely to the colonies. (The present system could .not be in ithe direction of a system enabling them to do what the colonies askc<! them. He urged the necessity of sympathy ami imagination in regari. to Imperial tin,nice and the Imperial policy, and dwelt on the vitality and necessity imposed upon the Empire by forces slowly but surely shaping themselves ,in various parts of the world, to organise itself in •the consciousness of common neods, destinies ,and perils. The Motherland must show the colonies that sympathy with their aims and methods which was beyond the mere production of a certain number of ships, guns and units in arousing a feeling of .common interest in everybody engaged in commercial and industrial work. Mr Balfour added that the colonies had demonstrated ; their desivo for the liscal union of the Empire, and asked: Are we, when driven to adopt a system tending itself ; to Preference, going to refuse the preference within our reach? It would bo national madness to pursue such a policy, and he did not .believe tho country would pursue it.