BIRMINGHAM CONFERENCE.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 11127, 16 November 1907, Page 5

BIRMINGHAM CONFERENCE.

SPEECH BY MR BALFOUR.

PLEA FOR PARTY UNION.

STRONG SUPPORT OF IMPERIAL PREFERENCE.

FISCAL REFORM.

(Press Assn. — By Telegraph — Copyright). LONDON, November 15. Two thousand delegates attended the Birmingham conference. Mr Chaplin moved that the first constructive policy be fiscal reform, broadening the basis of taxation, safeguarding! the great productive industries from unfhir competition, strengthening the facilities for negotiating m foreign markets, establishing preferential commercial arrangements with the colonies, ahd securing to British producers) andi workmen a further advantage oyer foreign competitors m the colonial markets. Mr Balfour wrote that he thought the resolution summarised' -with -perfect accuracy and much felicity his speech tefore the Council of the National Union on February Isthlast. The motion was carried enthusiastically. Tlie Conference condemned ■" the Government's inaction m repressing disorder m Ireland, and resolved that Socialism would be best combated by the granting of tariff reform and old age pensions. Tthe Conference greatly regretted Mr Cliamberlain's illness, and air the delefatis rose ip a body and sang "He's a oily Good Fellow." '„'-.y -'..' (Received November 16, 8.43 a.m.) Mr. Balfour addressed 3500 people -at the' Hippodrome, Birmingham^ m connecti on with' the conference. There was great enthusiasm. .He Urged unity, though it wag impossible to lay down m black and white what constituted party loydlty. He insisted that tariff-reform was- gaining strength, slowely. here, rapidly there, but continuously everywhere, because citizens were becoming, utterly discontented with tlie existing -, system. He .had always thought the promotion of free-trade within the . Empire the most important of all 'our commercial. interests. Until the recent conference he hadi entertained doubts whether that policy was practicable when the cooperation of a large number of units was required. It would be irrational to entertain, such fears after what had occurred at the conference. He wag astonished at the complacency of the Ministerial references to the debates at the conference. Personallyj. he thought Ministers cut a very poor figure. At the beginning of 1907 the temper of the self-governing colbiueswas such that the British I Government xriight easily have concluded an arrangement; enormously promoting Imperial .intercommunication and commerce* Even, if the British Government were unable to do much . they might at least have expressed sympathy by going as far as the revenue needs permitted. The opportunity had been wantonly* and recklessly thrown avfay. "We liaye no right," he continued, "to complain if the colonies pursue .a commercial policy wherein 'the interests of the Motherland have no place ati all. If Unionists were installed into office to-morrow our first duty would be to summon the conference so nastily dissolved,Tto open the door so rashly closed, •and see if we cannot do . something tor wards the great ideal o_ Imperial unity in/which every responsible colonial statesman shares, m which the late Lnperial Government sympathised, and which Mr Chamberlain has done *so much for:" (Cheers.) He ; heartily subscribed toithe fiscal resolution the' conference hdd carried with acclamation. Any fiscal change the party might adopt would embody a comprehensive scheme, equally advancing all the four great propositions contained m the resolution. He declined to go into details. ' He declined to exclude from this alteration of taxation any article of import except . raw material; also the tax imposed must not augment the..proportion paid by the working 1 man. He admitted that the growth of Socialism wa« [ a disquieting phenomenon. ' . If: Sttccessful it would be absolutely mdnous to. the whole community. That moyenaent would be best met by a constructive policy Of wide social reforms^ but it would be impossible to execute such a policy on the present basis of . taxation. yM_.TAustin Chamberlain said that after such a speech it would not be Mr Balfour's fault if the party were not >able to pull together. The Times says that Mr Balfour has placed tariff reform and the colonial conference m the party's programme. , The Globe states that Mr Balfour cast aside hair-splitting niceties, and gave ,-a--definite acceptance by nine-tenths of the Unionist party. The Westminster Gazette considers the ispeech undefinite. T