TARIFF REFORM.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 668, 19 November 1909, Page 7

TARIFF REFORM.

MR. BALFOUR. MISSION TO CONVERT LANCASHIRE. A PROMISE OF MARKETS. WITHOUT INCREASED COST OF LIVING. (By Telegraph;— Press Asaoblation.-Oopyrlght.) (Kco. November 18, 10.55 p.m.) London, November 18. Mr. Balfour, Unionist Leader, received a tremendous ovation from tho crowded audience in the Freo-trado Hall, Manchester, on rising to deliver his tariff reform appeal to the electors of Lancashire and Britain. Among what ho described as tho insistent issues in the present crisis, he gave (amid oheers) tho first place to tariff rofonn. Pro- , coeding to deal with tariff reform in Us special relation to Lancashire, ho said: ■ Working Masses "the Most Important Elemont." "I am told that the feeling in Lancashire ib. favour of tariff reform is moro lukowann and less ardent than is certainly to bo found in other great industrial centres. I, am told that some Unionists havo feared that a> fiscal, change would inoreaso tho cost of living to working men, would throw 'o, burden upon the industries in.which they .are pngagod,- and would react unfavourably as a wholo on tho cotton industry. I do not believe a word of that. (Cheers.) Of course, anything diminishing the prosperity of tho working masses would affect not merely them—and they are tho most important element in the country—but all other's. I should never have adhered to any fiscal change of importance which is calculated to increase, or could increase, tho worker's ordinary cost of living. "I am also told that Lancashire is struggling for existence in neutral markets, and will be no longer able to hold her own if any, form of import duty is imposed. lam told, despite Lancashire's prestige/, knowledge, education, and the possession of the best machinery, that because she is less happily circumstanced other countries gain upon us, and , that .the imposition, of import duties, which are required for revenue purposes, is going to destroy our trade. But we see less happily circumstanced rivals, with far greater duties imposed upon them, successfully competing in the same markets as wo i onco held." i Tariff would give Treaty-making Power. Germany, added Mr. Balfour, was gaining in the markets of Central Europo in the matter of the cotton industry, partly owing to her proximity, but largely owing to effective commercial treaties. He proceeded to prophesy that under tariff reform Lancashire would gain in.two ways— (1) by tho commercial-treaty-niaking power which fiscal reform alone could give; (2) by.,colonial preference.; Mr. Balfour next pictured tho enormous potentialities of tho preference offered by the colonics. Ho urged Free-traders—remember-ing how Germany, formerly subdivided into States with different tariff systems, had gained through economic unification and effective doing their utmost to oxtend Britain's ecodoing their utmost to extond Britain's economic bounds, to bring the 'Dominions into freer economic relations, and to prcservo some of the greatest and best markets on which we had got to depend.

FOOD TAXES, "FRANK AVOWAL" BY MR. CHAPLIN. CONCESSION TO COLONIES AND HOME FAEMEB. v . ) (Rec November 18, 9 p.m.) v '" " ''/ London, November 18. The anrfual'co'nierence of tho National Union o£ Conservative Associations (which'in 1007, and again in 1008, passed tariff reform'resolutions ' approved by .Mr. 'Balfour) has opened at Manchester. Tho Earl of Derby was elected President. - f Mr., E. Chaplin, the mover of tho tariff reform resolution m 1907, moved: That in view of tho growing unemployment, tariff reform should no longer be delayed. The mover remarked that tho enemy would doubtless concentrate their attack on tho question of food taxes. Es added: \ How are we tomeot that attack? It must be by a frank avowal. If duties are imposed on manufactured imports, we must have some taxes, however small, on imported food. Mr. Chaplin continued: The taxation of food is essential for the policy of colonial preferonce, and is equally essential in justice to British agriculture. We must next readjust existing taxes to prevent the augmentation of the proportion of taxes borne by the workers. Tho President declared that tho party were united on tho general principles of fiscal reform. Mr. Chaplin's motion was unanimously adopted. [It will be noted that though Hγ. Chaplin in his "frank avowal" says "food taxes," the Conservative Conference's resolution does not, nor does Mr. Balfour in his speech in the Freo-trade Hall. Mr. Balfour, in his tariff reform speech at Birmingham in 1907, was as saying: "Duties should be widespread. They should bo email. They should not touch raw material. They should not nlber the proportion in which the working classes oro asked to contribute to tho cost of government." Ee has also on many previous occasions dwelt on the power which > a tariff would give for the negotiation of commercial treaties with foreign countries.] PEERS AS DEFENDERS OF POPULAR WILL. BUDGET AMENDMENT APPEOYED. (Bee. November 18, 10.53 p.m.) London, November; 18. Tho ConforWo of the National Union of Conservative Associations emphatically approved the torms of tho amendment which Lord Lansdowne (Unionist Leader) is to icovo in the House of Lords on the second reading of tho Financo Bill ("That tho House of Lords is not justified in giving its consent to the Bill until it has been submitted to'the judgment of' the country"). Tho conference further expressed its thanks to Lord Lansdowne for "a conspicuous act of statesmanship enabling tho Lords to show their confidence in the wisdom and judgment of tho people." London, November 17. Commenting on tho manifesto issued by the President of tho Board of Trade, Mr. Churchill, in which he challenges the right of "a email cluster of titled persons"' to rulo tho rest, "Tho Times" says: „ "A cluster of Lords does not rule f the country, but it prevents the or- ' bitrary ruling of tho country by another cluster. Tho principal function of the Lords is to give tho nation freedom to decido our dostiny." Other newspapers comment on tho manifesto' on party lines. The "Daily Mail" refers to i Mr. Churchill's characteristic precipitation in anticipating Mr. Asquith with a portentous i manifesto. , i