PREFERENCE.

Manawatu Times, Volume XLVII, Issue 2777, 19 October 1923, Page 5

PREFERENCE.

STRONG OPPOSITION IN ENGLAND. LABOUR REPUDIATES SUGAR GUARANTEE. MR BRUCE'S HORNETS' NEST. [By Electric Cable-r-Copyright] [Aust..and N.Z. Cable Association.] (Received Thursday, 7 p.m.) LONDON. Oct. 17. Sir John Simon, at the Naltionai Club, in dealing with the Government's preference proposals, hoped bis fellow-citizens overseas would not niind a little plain speaking. It was* useless to conduct such a controversy by empty compliments. There was grav e danger of a confusion of ideao at the outset. He pointed out thai the preference practised by the Dominions tended to decrease the price the consumer had to pay for an article enjoying preference, whereas preference in Britain would increaso prices to the poorest, who at present enjoyed a free market. The Government's preference proposals might be trumpery and negligible, but they involved an important admission that the next step was impossible without taxing food. Mr. Bruce had said it wa3 useless dodging the main issue, making it fairly cleat that his ultimate Idea was to tax food and raw materials. In referring particularly to the proposal for the guarantee of preference to sugar for ten years, he asked what right any Government had to continue to burden one of the most important foodsturts. He concluded that the Empire would best justify itself by declaring that it at heart, adhered to the principle oi trading with the whole world, not by a hopeless effort to be self-supporting. The official seal was put on Labour's disapproval of Imperial preference by Mr. A. G. Henderson, M.P., who, In a speech at Durham, declared Mr. Bruce was asking for the full programme of the tariff reformers. Preference would impose an insupportable burden on our impoverished people. The duty on dried fruits involved a distinct violation of Mr.Bonar Law's election pledges, while the ten years' guarantee regarding Empiregrown sugar, would not bind the Labour Government if such materialised within the period.

UNITED STATES INTERESTED. NO THREAT OF RETALIATION. (Received Thursday, 7.45 p.m.) WASHINGTON, Oct. 17. Keen interest is taken here in the working out of a preferential tariff plan within the British Empire at the Imperial Conference. Although President Coolidg© made it plain that tne United States Government recognises the full right of the British Government and Dominions to adopt a preference plan, there is no threat of retaliation from White House, but, no doubt, the high tariff leaders in Congress and in the country will endeavour to use the British tariff preferences as reasons for keeping up the high level of duties in this country. STEADY RISE IN FOOD PRICES. 75 PER CENT. ABOVE 1914 LEVEL. LONDON, Oct. 17. According to the official figures, food prices are now 75 per cent, above the 1914 level. During the "past few months there has been a steady rise, *nd prices have increased twos per cent lince September 1.