TARIFF AND TRADE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 714, 13 January 1910, Page 5

TARIFF AND TRADE.

BEST CUSTOMERS. TB2) COLOOTES AND FOEEIGNEES COMPARED. By Telegraph—Piess Association—OoDyrieht. , (Eec. January 12, 9.15 p.m.) . • London, January. 12. Speaking at Wolverhampton,' Mr. Alfred Lytteltoh! who .-was Secretary, for. tho Colonies in the last. Unionist Gov- ■ ernmont, replied to Mr. Lloyd-George's ' Free-trade speech (in the courso of which .■ Mr. Lloyd-George'said: "It would bo folly, and unworthy businoss on tho part j of the nation,' for , Britain to risk 251 , millions' worth of foreign trado on the [ off-chance, of securing 30 millions morel ( colonial trade"). ■ , Dominions tho Best Customers Per ■. ■ Hoad. . Mr.'.Lyttelton stated, that Australia's business.with: Britain amounted - to., <£7 ss. per; head of' her population per : an-num.-As compared with this,'the United .- States's business' with : Britain was . 13s: 3d. per head of population per annum, and, Germany's, business mth: Britain was ss. 9d., per ihead of population 'per. • .annum;:- .-'-'"--. i;.- . With , a: population , of sixty millions; Germany . did :: business i .mth , Britain to. the' amount of ~ 080, GOO per annum, .' while-Australasia,: \vith a population'only t . equal to: that of London, ' did business with; Britain . to , the amount of £20,000,000 per annum. : .. Will the Price of Bread be Increased? Mr. Lyttalton added • that the sole . obstacle to; a oioser - knitting of the Empire's commercial . bonds, was. a belief: in: ■ Britain that colonial preference would -. involve, taxation.' v'He -was:.fully prepared | to,sadmit .that; in ' Older:' to get - effective/ preference thore 'should ,be- a: . low duty,: not 'iipon wheat,..but; on foreign whoat. •- ; .''v ■ " • : The fear that this duty,, would .increase, tho . price ;was' groundless. , I .'What ';dot£r- , mined the /price of bread was : that \ there, should be a -sufficient supply of Homegrown' ' and 'colonial-grown wheat, • and - sufficient competition to keep -down tho price. \ The wheafc-growing. areas of Canada 1 alone were .sufficient' to',' supply tho. ..consumption, of the whole 'tvorld.'' In ad-, ditioii, Britain had ; whoat-growihg , re- . serves in .India,: South, Africa, Australia, and Now Zealand. ■■ ■ Revenue Aspect of Wheat Duty. !,Eurther,',he' ; 'believed': that, if a duty : was. levied, tho /United, States-{would pay, : th«;: British roveniie a 'substantial sum ;in -order -to have.the -.privilege bf' con;tin'uing to'/sdpply; a, portion,; of the British market. .■ " ■' - -'; ;: - MR.,,BALFOUR AT ABERDEEN. London, January 11. Mr.- Balfour, Opposition Leader, in a : 1 spacch at-Abiardeen/ said that the'num-, b'er'of- landlords /ought to' be'greatly in-, creased. / Small holdings could not prosper witimt.:the'/stimulusiqf ownership. . Referring to,/tariff-/reform, • Mr.^Bal-' -four .declared . that, the produeer' .might: be'.considered .more' than.'.the, consumer. ■ :, 'Money; invested, abroad was' hot/wasted, ■ added the' Britain benefited : far. more by^pr^uctipri./due/ to' British capital employing British labour. MR. ASQUITH'S ANSWER. ! FREE IMPORTS'' THE BEST REPLY TO PROTECTION/ ; GERMAN" .ADVANCE DUE TO BETTER METHODS. '(Rec.'"January 12,. 10.55 p.m.): „•>■ . ■ '. - - January. 12. The Prime Minister; Mr./Asquith, ~in, a' speech at Ipswich; . replied to Mr. 1 Balfour's Aberdeen speech. .■/ ■'■;■/, '■ i: Mr.' Asquith said it was vital; to main-; tain, ii perfectly ' open market, : whereby , Britain'; would be. better/ ablo to over-: ''barriers'' than, by adopting retaliation.; /.//-A,//;'•-'';/ lie declared; that tho enormous industrial advance of: Germany /was ' hot . duo , to tariffs/but to ..education and organisa--tion. • -ys'-I'-.-, :'.'.''/- : -'- v -.V-,'-' " . "SHIVER iLVDNESS." : London, January 11. Mr. Birrell, Chief Secretary for '■ Ireland, in an address to his'/constituents at ; Bristol, described-, ap; Empire tariff. re- : form soheme, /with preferential treatment for .the. colonies, as sheer ...madness;. ~ :It. would /be/rank /folly,/he . declared,.' '.to abandon, the ;■ present policy, -which ; hail mado;th«- country /so/ prosperous.// ../ ' Mr.- 'Birrell favoured; disestablishment and disondowmoht : 'of . the ;'. English .Church. : ,/ , ,ABSENT CANDIDATES. London, Januarj- 11. ■.Mr. Haise.' /ii, 'Liberal ...candidate,-.'is hurrying from Afghanistan.to contest, the Bristol Vt'est seat. ', , An active - coiripaign;. on behalf 'of/ ■Mr.;; /Will Crooks, : the candidate,', is proceeding, at Wqolwicfl,'/pending, his ar- ! ' rival from' Australasia. ./" - ,/•