NAVY AND BUDGET.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 572, 29 July 1909, Page 5

NAVY AND BUDGET.

TARIFF REFORM.

MR. BALFPUR'S MODERATE DUTIES. NO TRADE DISTURBANCE. ("By Tolcgraplj.—l'rcss Association—Cobyrlcht) (Ilcc. July 28, 10.35 p.m.) • London, July 28. A very largo anti-Budgot meeting was held (ii the city. Lord Aldenhain (head of tho banking firm of Anton} Gibbs and Sons, and a director and past goyernoi of the Ba.uk of England) picsided. The meeting passed a resolution declaring its emphatic adherence to fiscal tariff reform, and describing the proposals of the Chancellor of tho Exchequer to be profoundly unjust and oppressive, and a menace to trade, commerce, and banking interests.

The Narrow Nqval Margin The Leader of the Opposition (Mr. Balfonr) remarked that , tho present, Government were afraid of their own tail. They were alarmed about laying down the keejs ; of .the four extra battleships . before 1910, although they .were- doing 'everything in connection with these hattlQships except laying down the keels. : It was;difficult to. discover, whether even .noiv the Government .meant to deal with the situation in a bold and courageous spirit. Mr. Balfour' added . '/ ' ..■»'.:•' -.....'.'.1.d0 not belie'vo that the,country realises tho danger of the narrow, is the margin of, battle strength upon which we are relying; or--if ypu remernber' our respdnsibilities in the Mediterranean , and; the North Seas,,and of defendiug, beside pur own ■■shores, all'the colonies and : all the. trade route^B , to the colonies and to the foreign niarkets-—how " preposterously meagre Ifas been, the,' building :prbgram,me. of the past 'three years., It' has irnperilled the' greatest and .tho most,vital interests of the-Empire. , ' (Oheers^ T :; ; ' :, " ,/y ; V' V 1 ; v ': , v; . ; Y' :,; '; v

His Birmingham neolaratton. Mr Balfour then proceeded to disouss tho Budget. His hearers cheered and cheered again vhqn he loferred. to b|s prophecy at Birmingham tup or three sears ago that, merely from a financial standpoint, tariff reform «as nbsolutclj inowt~ble. Fears, ho Baid, had been expressed that import duties m,ight violently diveit commeice from the proper channels and place difficulties iq tho way of the legitimate tra.der "The more I have been able to consider this problem (Mr Balfour continued in deliberate tones) tho less weight and substance do I personally and individually attach to anj of these fears. I do not believe that any scale of duties such as I could individually contemplate would have the slightest effect in hampering industry or injuriously or violent!j diverting the course .of trade. I dp. not believe.the cost of collection of such duties would be other than insignificant. I do not believe for one moment that such duties are going to promote any illegitimate combinations —ca}l them 'trusts,' or -ivhat you \\ ill—within the limits of this kingdom,

v ! Np or. Extreme Tariff ■• ■ ! ,I'On the contrary, my qw'ii conviction' is 'that , ' the 'more' we, look;round in a detached ispirit. upoh-'the -treaty.'relations between the .{different, cqujitries, tte;'cpmnjprcigl '.rcjations :o^ : t)le; i diffprent_'Mμntrieβ ) ■.ciroumstances ;6f .trade,j the more cprtaiii it ■I is 'not that wo' must ; adopt soino V wild or extreme''tariff for the' beijeOt. of this' or ;manufacturer,' /bijt,. :, thgt'. for ' fipancial, cpriimorcial, 'and Imperial'.reasons' fiscal roforni of vtlto moderate; and '.equitable-,.kind';that I 'always'.contemplated, is', more, a ; ;' '.'.•' ; :-'.;'...,■.:*■.'.' V ..■':':-.' , -".'"''•.■.;

; MR. BALFQUR'S DUf 1E5.-TARIFF OR . ■. In ;his Birrninelinhr speooh' to 'above, 1 Mr. Balfpur. dciilared . that -tariff reform coulij ■ life: uiu'ivdd'at frqm'ieaoh one of four standppiiitsiV (I)•broadening' this, basis of: taxation-for :reypniie\purppses,' (2j : safeguarding, British industries, from. linfdir foreign" competition, (8) strengthening Britain's '.position s for- r tlie pur'vosß'ot negotiation ill ioreign^raarketsl'ana' (4) the standpoint of colonial preference;' If for revenue'purposes alone,-a broadening,of. tho basis,of taxation:would, Mr. EjaUqiir"added, ba absolutely'necessary.',.! : ': T.'^-""'- ■'~' ■-■ :'. ■. ■■^■•■ : 'VJ'lie" Liberals': propose-to, broaden the basis qf .taxation. by jneans of. ihe land' taxes, and Mr. 1 As(]uith-was recently reported as' declaring th'flt tlip only;alternative was a tariff.' The Umcli"ist's offer, in place of the.land and liquor tases, tiiriff/reform..*' In the same Birminghamspeech, MKBalfour Said:/' '::.'''•""• ■['■■':'•': '7 • : ; " '■'•>■':,'.:

I ."Duties"should-be- widespread. .I.They should be small. They (should not tpuch raw.material; They, should not alter'the proportion in which the working ', classes, ore asked to .contribute"to tlie: post of gavßi-ument."-,-'.': , '-'.' ".'.' .•-.■'