TARIFF REFORM AT HOME.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13487, 14 May 1907, Page 4

TARIFF REFORM AT HOME.

In his speech at Manchester Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman, while sarcastically congratulating Mr. Balfour on his tardy.< conversion to the views of the tariff reformers, unconsciously acknowledged that he himself had abandoned his belief that the last general election had finally settled the fiscal question. The country, he now admits,- is on the eve of a severe struggle on tariff reform. If this is so, it can only be because the number of those who are; becoming convinced of the necessity of a change in the direction urged by Mr. Chamberlain is constantly increasing. That this is . what :is actually happening does not appear to admit of any doubt, though whether the rate of increase is," great enough to make tariff reform possible within a year or two is another matter. We believe, however, that reform is inevitable sooner or later. No'people can always remain blind to the logic of ?facts. The colonies have no desire to force upon the Mother Country a fundamental change in its fiscal policy in what Sir H. Campbell-Bah-nerman calls "their supposed interests." That change, they fully recognise, must be made voluntarily by the; people of ? Great ?Britain themselves. But the colonies urge it, not from purely selfish motives, but; in the interests of British trade generally, arid the Empire as a whole. Free imports "place the colonies on the same footing as foreign countries, who, though friends to-day may be enemies to-morrow. New Zealand is treated r precisely yas Germany : and Russia are treated. • Though it is peopled fby s the British »ace and is part of the British Empire it obtains under Britain's free trade policy no advantages that China or % Turkey does not enjoy. That may appear an ideal state of things in; the eyes of pedantic economists, but it requires no profound sagacity ; to see that it is la serious menace to Imperial organisation. Sentiment alone 'will:'riot keep?the Empire together. It must be cemented by material advantages." All within it must enjoy a preference denied , to the foreigner. Tariff reform in England is imperative if this Imperial compactness is to be attained. \