THE COLONIES AND PROTECTION.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 643, 21 October 1909, Page 7

THE COLONIES AND PROTECTION.

DISTINGUISHED VISITOR'S VIEWS. . tlljf i Teleurault.—l'rend Amiiiplallon.l Christchurch, October 20. In the course of a brief interview to-day, Sit Albert Spicer, M.P., president 'of . the: London Chamber of Commerce, made some interesting temarks m connection with Free-trade and the' colonies. ' Sir Albert, who is a etiHinbh Free-trader, said that he had always held that the country which produced a large surplus' of foodstuffs could not afford to play with protection. There was no doubt that, at the present. timi, it would be a. very serious blow to many industries inAustralia and Now Zealand were Free-trade to bo introduced suddenly,: and he did not think thajt people .would be prepared to substitute for protection a policy, of direct taxation.. At the fame time, ho could not Shut his eyes 'to' the, fact that Australia and New Zealand . wero agricultural countries, and their. : wealth : was in those, - industries. If he (tlio speaker) lived in Australia or New Zealand he would bo a Free-trader on principle, and he .should aim at (jiving each industry that bad protection a limited number.'of years to enable it to heconlfl established with tho view of ultimately withdrawing that..protection. He was, however, botma to: say that lie believed that.protection, had too atrOiig ; <i h6ld in Australasia to make it hkely that an alteration would be made .in the near future.