BRITISH POLITICS.

Gisborne Times, Volume X, Issue 1036, 31 October 1903, Page 2

BRITISH POLITICS.

BOUND TO WIN. . By Telegraph—Pre33 Association—Copyright Received 10.26 p.m., Oct. 30. London, Oot. 30. Mr Chamberlain, whon leaving Liverpool, remarked that he was more confident than over. Ho did think he woulc have accomplished sOj'much as he finds ht has accomplished. Ho was bound to win

MR WYNDHAH’S REPLY TO MR ASQUITH. By Telegraph. Press Association. Copyright Received 12,12 a.m,, Oot. 31. London, Oct. 30.

Mr Wyndham, answering Mr Asquith, said tho Board of Trado Blue Book dealt with 14, not 2, trades, showing that out of every 100 people in Groat Britain 17 wore employed in those trades in 1870, and only 14 in 1900 ; besides employment ir 1871 meant five or six dayß a wcok,not throe or four, as nowadays. He disproved Mr Asquith’s shipping figures, declaring the incroase had been 63, not 100 per cont British shipping in eloven years increased 17 per cent; Gorman 46. Ho added tha: unless Great Britain was ultimately pre pared to bo out of it altogether she canuo! afford to see Canada captured by the United States. With fiscal roform Canada if necessary,could becomo Britain’s granary She must be linked up 'directly wit! Britain. The thing has got to bo done whether by Mr Chamberlain or anothei method, He stated that between 1879 and 1884, when Germany’s corn duty was 2s 2d, wheat only increased less than a shilling.

BERLIN, Oct. 29. The German press comments on Mr Chamberlain's speech are sober in tone. They attribute Germany’s increasing trade to the adaptability, of her manufacturers, and not to the shipping bounties. MELBOURNE, Oct. 30.

Mr Deakin de'alt at length with Air Chamberlain’s proposals. He said our interests were very, largely bound up with the Mother Country because of the huge debt we owe in London, and because our diplomatic interests are safe-guarded in London, He regarded preferential trades as a means of increasing population and

employment, and declared a protectionist tariff was not" inconsistent with preference. When Mr Chamberlain made his specific proposals, they .would receive the most cordial,- the most hearty, and most generous consideration from the Australian Government. .They would he the only prelude to the vested trade between Australia and England. lie had been asked to say whether the Government were prepared to consider reductions as Well as increases.

Certainly they were prepared to con-

sider them as they affect each industry, but our tariff was so low that it offers few opportunities of reduction, but where we cannot make reductions we can increase against the foreigner. The issue of the election. Mr Deakin defined,, would be national trade against foreign trade—preferential trade against trade with foreigners. He concluded with a hope that this will become known as the Ballarat cry of fiscal peace and preferential trade for a White Australia He had a good reception. A resolut on of confidence was carried.

WELLINGTON, last niglit. The Council of the Chamber of Commerce has set up a committee of enquiry into the question of preferential trade with the Mother Country. The committee has been instructed to give due consideration to the undesirableness of unnecessarily disturbing the public revenue or detrimentally affecting the industries of the colony.