PREFERENTIAL TRADE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 13006, 25 October 1905, Page 5

PREFERENTIAL TRADE.

BRITAIN'S INCREASING EXPORTS. LOSS IN WAGES BY IMPORTS* By Telegraph.—Press Association.—Copyright, (Beceived October 24, W. 54 p.m.) London, October 24 Mr. Asquith, M.P., in a speech afi Edinburgh yesterday, insisted thati Mr. Chamberlain's prediction, that; the lack of preferential trade was double-edged—decaying trade audi dissolving the Empirehad been' falsified. British exports were stilll increasing, and had amounted to £249,000,000 for the first nine months of 1905. That was pretty good for stagnant and stationary trade, especially since the increase consisted! chiefly of British manufactures.

Sir Howard Vincent, in a manifesto to his constituents, states that in 1904 £63,212,000 worth of foreignfinished goods were imported intoi Britain, thus causing a loss in wages of £31,608,000.

VIEWS OP LORD JERSEY. FEELING 'IN ENGLAND BECOMING FAVOURABLE. -• v . (Rewired October 24, 9.41 p.m.) Melbourne, October 24. The Earl of Jersey, in the interview given here yesterday, said that personally he thought there was no likelihood of a reversal in England of the general principles of free trade, though it was not improbable that there might be some modification. Ib was not at all improbable that reviews of our commercial treaties with other countries would bo undertaken. He thought, •: however, that the feeling was growing in England! that some attention might be given to the proposals for preferential trade with the colonies, even if it involved some modification of the stern rule of free trade. He regarded it as unlikely that an Imperial conference will be held before the next general election, and thought it would be quite a mistake for any of the parties to the conference to go to it with a fixed' policy. The! prudent vould say, " the conference meet and the drift of the different opinions be gathered." ~