Rangitikei Advocate. THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 1909. EDITORIAL NOTES.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIV, Issue 9397, 18 March 1909, Page 4

Rangitikei Advocate. THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 1909. EDITORIAL NOTES.

THE numerous successes gained by Tariff Reform candidates at the byelections in Britain have led to the opinion that the nest general election will put the Tariff Reform party in office. The freetraders, are, however, waking up to the dangers of the situation, and an active campaign is to be conducted in the country with the object of demonstrating the disadvantages of a return to Protection, There can be little doubt that the freetraders will hold their own at the next general election, although with a reduced majority, since the Conservative Party is so torn by dissensions as to methods of tariff reform that there is little hope that ic can carry the country with it. One wing of the party is frankly protectionist and would tax food, raw material or manufactures, another section consists of so-called free fooders, and objects to raising the price of the people’s food, although not unwilling to fas imported manufactured goods, while| yet a third is quite satisfied with the present tariff arrangements. The protectionists are fighting to control the party’s policy, and they definitely state that unionist candidates who do not agree with their views should stand down at nest election. The whole position is, rendered more complicated by the fact that Mr Balfour, the leader of the Party, is at any rate a very lukewarm protectionist, and though he says that tariff reform must be* the first plank in the policy of Unionists uses his matchless powers of dialecticn to ccuceral his opinion as to whac constitutes tariff reform. Mr Asquith, in a recent ■ -speech, put the case for free trade ■very clearly. Ho pointed cut with regard to the proposal to tax foreign manufactures chat except in times of dumping they were either substantially raw material or articles Britain was unable to produce and, in either case, ought to be free; or they represented articles for the production whereof foreign countries, either from superior natural advantages or better training, anjoyed a preponderating advantage. Tasing them would, besides, be fining the consumer, and remove from Bricish manufactures the only incentive to improvement of the processes of manufacture. Once tariff reform started it must be perpetually recast and during the process the consumers would go to the wall and the many would be sacrificed to the few.

THE programme for naval construction proposed in the British Estimates Is a compromise. It provides for the construction of four new Dreadnoughts and states that if necessary Government will ask for authority for four more large armoured ships to be laid down on April Ist, 1910, and to be completed in March 1912. The rapid increase in the strength of the German navy renders increased activity on the part of Britain absolutely necessary and the only point at issue is whether four or seven Dreadnoughts should have been begun this year. Britain has so great a lead in all ships besides Dreadnoughts that we think she may well rather hold back than take the lead in the constantly growing expenditure on navies provided she does not risk falling below the two-yower standard. Mr Asquith has definitely stated that Britain must always have ten per cent, more capital ships than any two other powers. A capital ship is a naval term for a ship capable of lying in a line of battle and would, therefore, inoiude not only Dreadnoughts, but also the so-called Dreadnought ornisers, the Invincible, Indomitable and Inflexible. At the end of 1909 Britain will have 7 capital ships against Germany '3, at the end of 1910 she will have 10 against 6, but at the end of 1911 had no new vessels been authorised she would have had only 12 against 13. The additional four ships now authorised would correct this deficiency so far as Germany is concerned, but would not suffice to maintain the two-power standard since the United States and France would each have four Dreadnoughts completed at that time. Unless German construction fails to maintain the rate prescribed in her programme, it therefore, seems probable that Britain will have to lay down mote than the four Dreadnoughts at present allowed for.