Chamberlain on Trades Union Leaders.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 10970, 9 June 1903, Page 5

Chamberlain on Trades Union Leaders.

LONDON, Juno 8. . - Mr. -Chamberlain,- replying to a correspondent/ said he did not attach excessive importance to- Trade tjnion leaders,- be-cause-they were a .string of' radical partisans whose, opinions were -not necessarily shared by the workers generally, nor everi by Trades .Unionist's. .' ' • . ' - 1 • . I«r- connection with preferential tariffs and cofflmercial.fair play,Ke,Vas confidant that the .workers would' nofe iriubm^t Xp th,6 dictation of even, th.c anbst trusted Trades •Unionist -leaders. > In many cases the. duty on corn would , be paid 'by. the,, ejcporfers. Whothet the' duty Wo Uld raW ; tlie cosj^f liyi^g "wouldjyj'dppend, vPlQ^.^^- eitcnt r of competition amongst ' exporting countries. Even if the 1 price' of food* 'were raised, wag"es would -.be" raisej in greater proportion 1 . He instanced the-United States and Germany' as examples of -his contention. If when negotiating wi,th foteign .countries we were able to bargain ' on • equal ternrt, the duty now imposed wquld be generally reduced. Foreigners would' compete; in our" markets, bringing US' nearer real Freetrade. He was confident "that a-., revision of import duties would /secure a larger scheme of old age pensions fot the 'thrifty and well-conducted. It had been proved that: British possessions were capable of rapidly increasing their food supplies. He added: "If his scheme 1 was going to bring iuvn and starvation, how, then, could the fact be accounted for that the increase of exports', wages, and general prosperity during the last twenty years in the United States and Germany had 1 been greater than h*4he United Kingdom, the only country enjoying unrestrained fr'ce iih ports?"