MOTHERLAND AND COLONICS

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13796, 8 July 1908, Page 4

MOTHERLAND AND COLONICS

QUESTION OF .PREFERENCE : '*^ ,~t ■ ... \\:'-<y '■ \ '.■i'tf/lj DEBATE IN THE LORDS.?. '" «' 'i [FROM OUR OWN COBnESPONDEI^T] u" • London, May: & One of the most interesting debates that hgu ,V--' taken place in the House of Lords of lit* came off ' oil Wednesday and > Thursday when the Duke of Marlborough brought fori \X'}s ward the question of colonial preference. * ' ' As usual, the atmosphere of the "oilier place"us the House of Lords is called-in' •'. ■ Parliamentary language—was - serene - a?./ passionless. But the discussion was inter esting all the same. Many ■ members left - the Lower Chamber to come and listen to « debate- as interesting as it was' important. Members of the Government came and went." >; J Mr. Harold Cox (secretary of the Cobden Club) sat side by side with Sir SimwT Evans, the Solicitor-General. ' Among the Cabinet Ministers who flanked Lord Crewe, the Leader of the House, on the front bench were Lord Morley of Blackburn . and Lord Wolverhampton, the recent additions to the Chamber. The Duke of Marlborough wan followed' by Lord Avebury— naturalist, and politician. " vVill the advocates of preference to the colonies," asked Lord % Avebury, "condescend to give >' little information as to what articles they/intend to give a preference on? " Then we . can deal with the matter." He took one or two colonial exports to illustrate \ the effects of*a - preference..' A preference ' - on Australian wool would not make ant person in, Australia a penny the better. Tb< entry of wool from other countries had to 'm reckoned with. Then there was the nig. gestion of a preference to ; wheat imported from Canada. A , great J part of exported '." Canadian wheat , had to travel through the ' ' Y ■ " United States.,' Can you suppose, he said, " that the United States would let the corn" through: on these terms?" He argued-'.' against preference on ; general'terms. "N< ■ country produces everything it require* You. cannot protect an industry which doe" not exist." , The next speaker was Lord St Aldwyc ; the ex-Chancellor of the Exchequer, know.';.'•: . for so : long ■: in-- the -. House as : Sir Michtrf Hicks-Beach"Black Michael," as he it . termed. In the course of his remarks Jm ' ■'■ said .■ he was unable to agree with ,th* ';* thorough-going partisans >on either side, 1 ,;:,';! 3 " The negative policy of the Government," - -' he observed," "is not one of which I can , approve. I have ■■ the strongest desire, .'oi political rather than for - commercial; reasons, that something should be done toward 'X increasing and improving;; the s commercial ; relations between tine Mother Country" and t the colonies. To obtain that result I should ; not shrink from departing; from" the strict i -theory of free trade if I were satisfied tilt* ■ the departure would stop there. -On th« ; '- other hand, I by no-meajiig feel the confidence which the Duke of Marlborough and Lord Milner appear .to feel in the : policy ~ of colonial j preference. . I think it is teif* , ; that the'policy of colonial preference bai been tried by, this country:in the past with out satisfactory results. There seem to me practical difficulties of the gravest kind in the way of the adoption of that policy, row.. I trust that those who are unable to Jiccede to it will not be charged with neglecting the interests of this country or with lacking- \ in desire to bind the: Empire'together, jrl-.r • desire those'things as strongly anyone. i On "the other, band, I would net carp at any of the steps that the self-governing colonies have taken to alter their tariffs in favour of •■'* ; this country. ; Such changes have biten.made by Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and . South < Africa. The results may he clearly. . summed up. As regards South Africa they * have been very small, and as regards New Zealand and Australia'.thuy; have not-been-'W;^ • much. -But these ;are evidence*! of goodwill"•*."./; toward the Mother Country, and'they arftj also, I hope, a recognition of the great bur- * den which the Mother Country bears in relation to Imperial defence and a recognition',"* of the free and open market which she gives ' to < the produce \ of; all her colonies." Lord St Aldwyn referred to the last . J general .election, u-" I • do not think\J ',. ant; \ going too far," he said, "in saying that the desire of the Government to avoid taxes on ~' food was the main objection to colonial pr» ferences." '" ' ' '■»' ■ '•' ■ . -'":>V:':-/j