MR CHAMBERLAIN'S PROGRAMME.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12801, 23 October 1903, Page 5

MR CHAMBERLAIN'S PROGRAMME.

DUMPING GOODS FROM PROTECTED COUNTRIES.

Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. LONDON, October 21. (Received Oct. 22, at 8.27 a.m.) Mr Chamberlain had an overflow meeting at Newcastle. He appealed to the workmen not to approach the discussion in a mean, unpatriotic, and heckling spirit, ami asked them to remember the . unselfish help of Australia and Canada during the war. It was impossible to controvert that wages would "rise if there were more employment for employers at higher profit. " My programme," he said, "is to go with a stiff back to our foreign competitors, and say: 1 Gentlemen, we think you have played your game long enough.' Then I sliould go to our friends and kinsmen in the colowies, and say: 'Having regard to the probabilities of the future, it is high time that Jolm Bull and Bull's sons entered into a partnership. AVe ask you to help us, and invite you to our councils, and call you to be one with us in trade as in everything else.' I believe that such an appeal would be reciprocated by Britishers throughout the world. Then there would be no limit to the prosperity of the Motherland and colonies."

UNFAIR COMPETITION. (Received Oct. 22, at 5.115 a.m.) Twenty-nine thousand tons of Belgian nails were dumped into Staffordshire in 1902, the manufacturers' loss being 4s a ton, which was covered by a cartel ensuring a profit of 40* a ton in Belgium. THE TRADE OF THE COLONIES. Mr G. A. Touch, one of the directors of Patcrsons, Laing, and Bruce (Limited), Australian warehousemen, speaking at a nieetiug of shareholders, said that it was impossible to be satisfied with the present- commercial situation. Twenty years ago, for every 20s worth of goods shipped to Australia by the United Kiugdom 2s worth was sent by foreigners; now foreigners sent 8s worth of goods to Australia for every 20s worth of British goods. In their own business American competition Jiad become aggressively active. If Australia had 10 per cent, preference againstforeign countries most of the goods which were sent to Australia from America would be sent from British territory, and lilies which had gone to Germany would return to Britain.