PREFERENCE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 614, 17 September 1909, Page 5

PREFERENCE.

CARRIED BY COMMERCE CONGRESS THE VOTING. INTERESTING SPEECHES PRO AND CON Sydney, September 16. • In the discussion at. the Chambers of Com merce Congress on the London Chamber' resolution in favour of preferential trade the president, Sir Albert Spicer, announce that he would give his Chamber vote ii favour of the resolution, but as an individua ho would vpto against- it- Britain had n'a the slightest desire to interfere - with tli trading conditions of the great self-govern ing dominions, or with the policy they migh choose to follow in matters of trade.. Taxed Foods Importing Country's View-point Britain, said the president, was extreme! grateful for the preference- the colonies ha< given, her, but if the'colonies now asked fo sonie preference in return tho Old Countr could only sav, "Whoro can wo give it? It had been admitted that it could not b given on raw material, and, whether the liked it or not,. it came to the question c preference on food, which different parts c the Empire were producing .in largo quanti ties. Any country which has a surplus o food production could consider tho questio: of protection in a very different way froi a country which had to import its food suj) plies, as' Britain had .to do. The BritiS; Empire was not ring-fenced, like the unite States, Germany,. or Australia, but wa scattered in dilferent parts of tho world. H felt satisfied that what would ho food fo one part would be poison for. another aw that a binding system would lead to duueu] ties, and probably ultimate disaster. What tho Motherland, Has Given, "What had tho Mother Country .'to ofie in the way of preference? asked the speakci He would mention some preferences that ha< been''already given. Tho Old Country lia< given the dominions preference in somo_ wa; on the question'of defence, hs was show! by the difference in tho cost per head tBritain and to her dependencies. Preferenc was given in connection with; Colonial stock and bonds. It had been said th.it opinion were' changing,' but .if the - next., Ecncrc election" produced a result which, would loai to a system whereby, preference would b given to colonial wheat, aiid thertS follower higher: prices, the ■ greatest < blow would b dealt to the unity 'of the' Empire.; Ho wishei them to look at it in a broadlight—m tli light of our • international relations. . Th Empire had been allowed to grow with coni paratively little jealousy 011 the part of. th other great European nations, said Sir, A 1 bort, because Britain had treated theitt a: oxactly 011 the same lines. .There nad Me' an open delor . wherever she , had gone. I' the .Crown colonies, the protectorates, all' in India, all foreign countries wero'allowei to send their goods in oil exactly'the snm terms as British goods. He believed tha this had made for the world's peace. English Manufacturer Adapting HlnjsoH. It had been Said that England had go behind,'but if so tho colouies would bo.uoinj themselves the greatest disservico by' buynu something f roia England that Vas not bes suited for their best work; He believe* that during the last fifteen or twenty year Britain .had been adapting itself in_ th manufacture of artiOlcs for the heeds of no; countries, and ho belicTed; that tho visi of the English delegates to' Australia would in the observations they would inalto -am tlioir results, do more;than any attempt t bind tho dilferent parts .together, in a wa; that might leid only, to disunity. ' . , ' Other SpoaUers.i ; ' ' Mr. W.,, M'Phorson (Melbourne) dochrci that Australia wanted to givo .England pre ferenco in all things she had to import. ' Mr.' Jr Peate! (Leeds) declared that ( th' Chamhei', dccidedly. favoured, tariff jic iform and preferential trade.■ The caUse © Wo! decline of, British inaunfaoturos was.no 'obsolete machinery or; unskilled labour. ,Tar iff - walls had' been raised so high Sgainst, Bri tish goods that no machinery, however efli oien't; would • (mablov British'/ manufacturer! to clinib ovfr thcm. Tlicy would aoon hav. cither Imperial unity or Imperial, dismtegra tiori. ''The time had' arrived when tlio fisca policy of England, should bo carefully re .constructed. V'.c'; . '■ The speakers at the morning's fitting o tlieiCongross included Mr. LarUo, tho Cana dinn Commissioner, Mr- F. 'F. Hathawa; '(Now Brunswick), Mr.- J. V;. Sullivan, (Tas mania), Captain J. (Blackburn) ■Mr. W. N.-'Hedges'(Kalgoorlie), Mr.... Fern 'ley - (Cainis),. Hon. W, Knox (Melbourne) Mr. G. Palliser Martin (Bristol),,and Mr. J G.- HarknMS ; (Wellington). ;.■■■. . , All tho speakers, with the, exception of Mr Sullivan,, strongly, and some eloquently, ad vocated, preferential : trado in tho, interest: of the Empire. " " \ Mr. Sullivan declared that preference wai purely a Canadian demand. In the othoi colonies, and in tho Motherland, -iio sucl demand existed. , . v .' Mr. Harknoss' said lie voiced tho wishei of tho peopkvof New Zealand in, deiuandinf one policy for tho Empire—one. (lag, om throne,, ono .policy.. The present fiscal pol icy of Britain, lie declared,, had broker down, and impeded her 'dcvelopmeijt and. the development,of tho. Empire's:trade; r,V (Roc. September 18, 10.50 p.m.) 1 \ .. . aydnoy, September 16. Captain Harwood siid' that whilo th< British people had been waiting, for. tni: policy of preference, 1 thoy had Seen what tin Germans tmd done. All honour to the Ger mans'for the way they had - pushed tlieii trade, and all '.disgrace to • tho English foi allowing thetn the opportunity to . do, so.-' Mr.. Hathaway said lie would show : the Congress how preference should. bo given, A duty amounting to six' Millions was p imposed by tho Old Country on tea, and about 18 'millions on tobacco.- ' Let .tliera sweep away the duty on tea,.,which did nc to anyone,; excepting that it brought, in reveiiufl. Tako about one shilling preference oil tobacco from India,; South.; Africa, And Australia, There would then be a deficit of about eight liiillibils altogether, which meant that the working men in Britain would-be saving that much money' in a year." What then? Imposo cxaotly tho samo amount in other directions. Put a penny a pound on ,two different kinds of meat', that, would hfelp Canada, Australia, and' South Africa. Put 2s. a quarter on wheat;and corn; that would assist Canada, Austtalia; and Indin. Put a penny or even twopence on rice. The result would bo to' bring in nine or ton tfiillions in revenue, to increaso tho amount of tea from Coylon, to assist British investors in Indian rice fiolds, and to inoroase trade between Australia and' Britain. He would like to see preference by thd colonies to goods brought in British ships to British porta.' , ' • Mr. Harkness considered that Free-trade was impracticable to-day; Prohibitive duties were not proposed, but the imposition of light duties on certain goods. Let commercial instincts ' over-burden all others, and they would lead them in tho path of right, integrity, and power. Two Votes Taken. A vote was taken of individuals and of Chambers,. Tho voting was:— Individuals, Chambers. For Preference ............ B1 69 Against „ . 3t > 8 Neutral — 14 Majority for Preference 50 52 Palmerston, Canterbury,, Nelson, Dunedin, Auckland, Westport, Wellington; and Mastcrton voted for preference, : ' Invercargill voted against; Melbourne, Sydney, Gwlong, and Freniantlo remained neutral. • A cablogram of congratulation and welcome to tho delegates was received from the Acting-Primo Minister of Zoaland. defence of empire. ' duty of dominions to shabe in COST. (Keo. September 17, 1.15 a.m.) Sydncyi September 16, Mr. Warnford-Dayis (Londoh) moved: "That' the Congress views with satiuootkm the re-

cent discussions relating to the maintenanoc of the Empire's naval supremacy, and rccortif tho valuable assistance rendered by th« colonies; and the Congress affirms the principle that it is the duty of the sqlf-govern-ing colonics to participate in the cost of the defeneo of the Empire." Tho tmlver e& plained that tlio motion was framed prior tc tho Defence Conference. Mr. Aimos (Montreal) seconded. - Mr. Berry (Melbourne) moved an amend' mflnt suggesting that the annual naval expenditure of tho Mother Country should be borne by the Mother Country and dependencies in proportion to the export trade and shipping- of each. He estimated thai the Commonwealth on this basis would hav< t-o contribute £1,125,000. The amendment waß lost, and the mot-ior was carried.' . The resolution of the London Chamber ol Commerce (published ■in full yesterday) ii , favour of preferential trade was carried with the addition of a recommendation fo: ■ tbo appointment of commissioners to inquir< 1 into tlio question and to report to their re ' spcctivc Governments. TRAININC OF YOUTH IN ARMS. " CADET SYSTEM. (Reo. September 17, 1.25 a.m.) Sydney, September :16. 1 Mr. Peato (Leeds) moved: "That: Ih< , youth of the Empire should universally nn , dorgo sucli a course of training in disci plwo and arms as, without undue interfer ence with industrial employment) will ti them to take part in the Empire's defence. Mr. Parr (Auckland) seconded. Ho ox plained the New Zealand cadot system. Mr. HatbfiAvay (New Brunswick) eon sidered 'it injudicious to pass the motion Canada would not, and could not, accept it PRESB OPINIONS. "NO GREATER UNANIMITY THAN ' BEFORE." London, September. 15. Tlio ; "Pall Mall Gazette" says tlmt a! Imperialists are following with intense into) est the> proceedings of tno Sydney Congresf "Perhaps," says the paper, "the Congrcs is performing , its most useful function l determining to havo its say Upon nations defence and inter-Imperial'trade." ' ■ Sydney September 16. Tlie "Sydney .Morning hoTald," eommeni ing on. the preferential, trade debate at th chambers of . Commeroc Congress, says "Judging from yesterday's discussion, thoi is no greater unanimity as to the promis and fiufilment ,of ■ preferential trado tha there has been sineo Mr. Chamberlain: fir£ ; invented the tariff reform 'platform." Tho "Daily Telegraph" deelarcs-. that th case for preferential ■ trado was stated ; wit signal ability, and admirable frankneis, bu tlje' ability ; wa6 unable to disentangle th proposition from the confusion that ci tangles it,; 1 and" tho frankness frais unequ< to discovering what tho Bchome .really mean between two contradictory ideals.