BRITAIN’S TARIFF ISSUE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17189, 5 November 1923, Page 11

BRITAIN’S TARIFF ISSUE.

PRIME MINISTER’S SPEECH. R.v Telegraph-Prose Association—Copyright Australian and N.Z. ('able Association. LONDON. November 3. The * Daily Telegraph ” says that Mr Baldwin’s reception at Manchester was of the warmest. Loud cheers greet ed his declaration that “ the timo has . come when this country ftiust look to itself.” I Naturally the Prime Minister had to devote a considerable part of his speed] to tho cotton trade. Ho aroused en ■ thusiasm by declaring that he would | rot be satisfied " until we have so developed the Empire that we are abso futel v independent of America for I co ff. on . Similarly Mr Baldwin pictured the ' future when Britain would be independent of any foreign country for sugar and tobacco, saying: “This would help I us in paying our debt.” j At the close of tho speech Air Baldwin summed up his policy, briefly, in words that had been carefully chosen and written on a single sheet of note- ! paper. Prolonged cheering was evoked by the ! pronouncement that it was proposed to tax imported manufactured goods, with "pecial regard to imports which caused the greatest unemployment. The Prime Minister spoke with more vigour than lie usually employs on tho platform, and gave a better impression of bis oratorical powers. Mr Baldwin, at Manchester, developing his Protectionist policy, saicl that bis ideal was one great Empire, with freetrade within its borders and every part regarding itself as of one home. They could reach that ideal by binding the Empire toge ther by economic means. If they did not do so the law' of economic gravitation must draw them into a more powerful economic orbit. By establishing preference throughout the Empire they were doing nothing against the principles of Freetrade over the greater area. He proposed to put a tax on manufactured goods, with special regard to those imports that caused the greatest amount of unemployment: to give substantial preference to the dominions; to put no tax on wheat or meat; to investigate the best way to help agriculture and maintain the nation's tillage; to co-ordinate listing schemes of insurance ; to develop their own estate and ' their own Empire. It was an integral part of his policy to devote a portion of the new revenue to pushing ahead development as never before. No one could say how long it. would be before the economic conditions of Etiropo became stable, and tho time had come for Britain to rely on herself. Incidentally Mr Baldwin declared that he would not bo satisfied until they had so developed the Empire as to be absolutely independent of America with regard to cotton growing. The Prime Minister concluded by intimating that the country must decide after the opposing policies had been explained to the public. OVERSEA OPINION. LON DON , X ovc m her 4. Messrs Bruce and Massey were disinclined to comment on Mr Baldwin’s statement removing duties on wheat and meat from th© Preference proposal. but the Australian Press Association understands that the views of the oversea delegation are not favourable. It is pointed out that Mr Baldwin in no sense pledged the Government beyond the present Parliament, though his pronouncements indicated a progressive British policy. Provided the electorate sanctioned them they would result in the extension of his policy of preference for dominion products, which would ultimately mean that substantial consideration would be given to Australian foodstuffs imported into Great Britain.