Imperial Fiscal Question

Southland Times, Issue 19193, 3 November 1903, Page 2

Imperial Fiscal Question

PRO AND CON. Per United Press Association.By Electric Telegraph.— Copyright. LONDON, Oct. 31. Mr Akors Douglas, speaking at Canterbury, said his speeches in 1885 showed he was a freetrader in the widest sense, but he was entirely opposed to one-sided freetrade, leaving Britain to be the sport of foreign nations and precluding her from ['trikiiig in self-defence. Ho entirely agreed with Mr Chamberlain's policy, but recognised that Mr Balfour's. though little short, possibly, of a policy, found support with a majority of the party. .Hence they must 'proceed with a majority programme. Frcetrude papers deny Mr Chana- ', berlain's statements regarding tho decline in earthenware, glass, and tin plate trades. They declare that attacks upon Cobden for being a " little Englander " are unfair, sinco Cobden tried tj g<Jt rid of an antiquated colonial system, not of tho colonies themselves. They point out that Professor Nicholson recently expressed the opinion in Edinburgh that general evidence made it probable the now food taxes would raise, prices by the full amount of the tax. Sir Robert Giffen. in a letter published in The Times commenting on Mr Chamberlain's statement of the great increase in foreign imports for manufacture. asserts that many qualifications are necessary. He states that a large proportion of imports partly manufactured really constitute raw material. He instances i-lates, stones, crude zinc, unwrought copper and leather. LONDON, Nov. L. Mr Beckett, in a speech at Scarborough supporting the Government within the limits of the Sheffield manifesto, said i.~ believed that the country " dumping " was in greater danger than the country '" dumped upon." 1 1 the country accepted Mr Chamberlain's policy it would split the party. Earl Morloy. speaking at Plympt'on, said though ho differed from Mr Chamberlain's proposals in some respects, he differed with great diffidence from the Government's position. It was somewhat diUicult, he confessed. If the seed sown by Mr Chamberlain ripened they were prepared to leap the crop. Freetrado way one of the conditions whereunder prosperity had been created. v Ho maintained that the difficulty was «to disentangle ca"so and effect. It might be that in some cases retaliation was advisable, lmt he would like to know what mandate the Government wanted. A mandate to impose duties whenever they thought lit was impossible constitutionally. If tho Government produced a concrete case doubtless the Commons would sanction it. He did not l.eliove " dumping " had seriously iniunM] the home trade. He had no liolicf whatever that, the taxation of food would raise wages. MELBOIHNE. Oct 31. Air G. 11. Reid made a slashing attack on Premier Deakin'f proposals. In regard to preferential trade he rharged the Government with having j forsworn its promise to Britain to ! lii'ili'j; the question forward and that without bargains or concessions in return t\f denounced the Govern- j mi-iit for breach of fait In in the matter Dealing with the tariff, he asked \ how could there be fiscal peace when they had a wall of tariffs around their borders '? Was fiscal peace to mean an armed camp ?