PREFERENTIAL TRADE.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 10965, 7 May 1907, Page 3

PREFERENTIAL TRADE.

-— — . m ■■ _ (Rfess Assn.— By .Telegraph.— Copyright.) (Received May 7, 8.34 a.m.) . LONDON, May 6. Messrs W. Hays, Fisher, and R. A. Yerburgh, who were amongst Sir Michael _ Hicks-Beach's followers who urged in 1903 the need of cautious inquiry, and resolutely objected to protective taxation of imports on food how writes to the Times that tbe .preferential case submitted to the Imperial Conference has so stronly . impressed them that they preferred to recognise a moderate corn duty would not infringe the sacred principles, and may be an instrument of the greatest Imperial utility-. " '-.- The Times, in a special article on t{iepreference debate at the Imperial Conference, says: "Mr Asquith's tone was frankly that of a local particularist, prepared to consider practical proposals >f or the improvement of channels of interImperial trade, bul apparently lie does not realise that it is the duty of the country, rejecting proposals whereon all others are agreed to formulate couhterproposals. . . Lord Stanley, a Unionist freetrader,, joins Messrs Yerburgh and Fisher on the question of preference. MELBOURNE, May 7. At a meeting of the Chamber of Manufacturers. Mr Joshua, the President, .'declared , that if, as their opponents said, preferential trade i and protection could not exist together,, then they were not pre--fereatial traders. If preference was dead he did not think many people in Australia . Would pass sleepless nights in consequence. It was qu'te true they * would howl if a » proposal were nuide to reduce the duties, —^because the present duties in many -respects were a mockery of protection. They ""had reason to be proud of the manner in which Mr Deakin was representing them, but it might be he was a shade too enthusiastic and slightly overstated the question if he led British people to believe A-ustralians were hungering and thirsting for preference. ■■■■■i^Nni^i^Hß_HM__________