THE FISCAL ISSUE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLI, Issue 8823, 15 March 1909, Page 3

THE FISCAL ISSUE.

SPEECH BY MR. BALFOUR:

(By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) (Pee Press Association.) LONDON,. March 14. The loader of the Opposition '(Mr A. J. Balfour) was the guest of the Executive Committee of the Tariff Reform League. In the course of his speech he 1 said: "No doubt fiscal reform is the first plank of our platform (cheers). It is the matter whereto any Unionist Government must first address itself." Mr Balfour referred at length to Mr Churchill's reservation of the right to use retaliation as a trade weapon and quoted extracts from speeches of Ministers who claimed that retaliation was •really protection. It was another indication, irrespective of party, that tho old system must be changed. There were symptoms that those opinions were spreading beyond the Unionists' ranks. He' predicted tliat when the changes came they would produce no undue shock to national industry or the course of national trade. The changes would be commonsense, moderate and reasonable. Tho Council of tho London Chambers of Commerce has resolved that the preference . accorded by the various selfgoverning colonies will be a distinct advantage \to British manufacturers and its withdrawals would be most detrimental toVtrade.