FOOD TAXES.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1630, 23 December 1912, Page 5

FOOD TAXES.

0 DUTY OP UNIONIST PARTY. BRITISH RESPONSIBILITY. DANGER TO EMPIRE UNITY. By TeleziUDh—Press Association— OoDjrteM London, December 20. The "Times" Toronto correspondent eays that British Unionists must convince the British people of the Imperial value of preference, and not impose the responsibility of advocating the polioy upon the overseas Dominions. The "Chronicle" publishes the views of the Federal Prime Minister (Mr. A. Fisher), Mr. A. Deakin, Mr. W. M. Hughes, and Mr. E. D. Millen on Mr. Bonar Law's proposal. The paper, commenting on the statements, says they hesitate to declare themselves so emphatically as Canadian legislators regarding the friction and danger to Empire unity from the proposal, but they do not see any practical purpose in a "new Tory dodge." SUGGESTED UNIONIST SPLIT THE PARTY'S PROSPECTS. "DRIFTING TO DESTRUCTION." " (Rec. December 22, 5.5 p.m.) London, December 21. The Eight Hon. F. E. Smjth (Unionist member for Liverpool), speaking at Dudley, eaid that if the Unionists abandoned Tariff Reform, a party 60 bankrupt in. honour and eo saturated in poltroonery that it received the contempt of its conetituenoies would have to find new leaders and new followers. Mr. Bonar Law had never suggested that the decision of the food taxes should be left to the colonies, and never proposed to abdicate the responsibility the British Government nwst owe to the British people. He had only pointed out that the situation had largely changed since Mr. Joseph Chamberlain made hia proposals. It was impossible, he said, to introduce Imperial preference without protracted consultation with the colonies in order to tell us authoritatively what they considered" vital in carrying out that policy. The newspapers give prominence to di* Eentions amongst the Unionists in. connection with the food taxes. The "Liverpool Courier" (Conservative) states that the Unionist party is drifting to destruction and demands a conference with London and Lancashire leaders anent the tariff referendum. The "Yorkshire Post" (Conservative) deplores thtt abandonment of the referendum, which would have enabled many Liberals to vote Unionist, and enable the paity to proceed to reforms commanding general assent. The "Morning Post" strongly advocates food taxes, but other Unionist papers are ignoring the question, hoping thereby to heal the dispute. ' V The "Times" continues to advocate the abandonment of food taxes in their existing circumstances. "Reciprocal preference," it states, "can well be established without them." The "Westminster Gazette" eums up the situation thus: "The Birmingham paTty urges that food taxes are essential; London eays that food taxes should not be pressed," The Cape Town "Argue" considers that Mr. Bonar Law's speech was a tactical error, and does not believe that.in any case the Dominions would ask for food duties if the British workers resented them. The Johannesburg "Star," a progressive organ, is imbued with the conviction, tnat Mr. Bonar Law's proposals will lead to enormous mutual benefits. A REMARKABLE OUTBURST. « LORD NORTHCLIFFE AND "THE TIMES." Mr. J. L. Garvin, Editor of the "Pall Mall Gazette," makes a sensational attack on Lord Northcliffe, and blames "The Timea , ' for following the "Daily Mail's" repudiation of food duties. He attributes the attitude of both to Lord Northcliffe's prodigious business commitments, and declares that though he has no time for the oonsecutive study of- politics, yet he is behind the national scenes, exercising an irresponsible despotism which no 6ane society would allow any man to possess. Hβ adds.that "no meat trust is so dangerous as this press trust."