FREE TRADE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIV, 6 August 1931, Page 9

FREE TRADE

(To the Editor)

Sir, —In your leading article of Monday evening you assert that Great Britain "by imposing a similarly high turiff upon imported foreign manufactures would be in a position to make a bargain in the form of reciprocal trade agreements with such nations as at pre-. sont rigidly exclude her products.” As a matter of historical fact has any country such as the United States, by imposing a high tariff boen able to se- <

cure a. reduction either special or general in the tariffs of any other protectionist countries? The history of the past three centuries shows that tho results of bargaining between protectionist countries have been practically negligible. Did the protests and threats of retaliation which wero presented to Congress from 26 protectionist countries have the smallest influence with the United States when that country was preparing to adopt its highost tariff on record? If no country by imposing high duties has hitherto succeeded in persuading other countrios to lower their duties, on what grounds do you suppose that Britain would succeed whero othor countries have failed? Further, havo you taken into consideration the operation of tho “most favoured nation” clause which is now introduced into most commercial treaties and which would prevent any special concessions being made to Britain ! But, finally, will not tho conversion of Britain to protection havo diametrically the opposite effect to that which you indicate ? Instead of other nations boing ready to negotiate for tho reduction of Lhoir tariffs as you suppose, will not every protectionist in every country of the world bo strongly confirmed in his belief that a policy of high tariffs is the only path of wisdom? Will he not be able to point to Britain’s change of mind

as a convincing proof of his theory? Can) you suggest anything more likely to per-, petuato tho high tariff walls that are at j present impoverishing tho world than for ; Britain, tho stalwart exponent of free i trado for so many decades, to abandon that position? Tho suggested euro will greatly aggravate the disease. With just as much logic might it be argued that tho best way to persuade the drunkards ot tho world to turn sober would bo for all tho sober men to turn drunkard.—l am, etc., lL G. GIBBS, Nelson, sth August.