PREFERENTIAL TRADE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XL, Issue 12281, 27 May 1903, Page 5

PREFERENTIAL TRADE.

REMARKS BY THE HON. J. CARROLL.

Speaking at Tuakau yesterday, on the occasion of the opening of the OnewheroTuakftu bridge, the Hon. Jas. Carroll, Native Minister, said that with regard to Mr. Chamberlain's suggestion for important fiscal changes in the Empire, he was inclined to think that any change in that direction would be of immense benefit to the producers of the colony. We could arrange our own markets and our fiscal policy to suit our own circumstances, and not permit our colony to be made a target "for all descriptions of foreign trade. Without intending retaliation or reprisals, he would say that it would be necessary to use any stick to beat a dog that was going to bite us. He did not see why we should concede favours to foreign countries when they did not offer the same to us. By means of cheap labour they could place on the market any article cheaper than we could produce it, and while we opened our doors to them they put up fences against us. We must deal with them in their own way, and erect a fiscal fence against them to protect ourselves. We did not want an advantage, but only to place ourselves on an equal footing with them, and the solution was as he had indicated, although there was a large section of the people opposed to any change. He thought that the consequence would "justify any ct which at present was contemplated in the matter.