BRITISH POLITICS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XII, Issue 1060, 30 November 1903, Page 2

BRITISH POLITICS.

THE FISCAL CONTROVERSY,,

By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright Received 10.8 a.m., Nov. 29. London, Nov. 27. John Burns, speaking at Shrewsbury, said that Messrs Balfour and Chamberlain were using fiscal reform as a stalking horse to cover the blunders of the war. It was a monstrous untruth to allege that Britain was the dust hoap of the world. Mr Chamberlain, fearing the war would cause a depression and reduction of wages, attributed these ills to the fall of trade. Received 10.18 a.m., Nov. 29. London, Nov. 28. Mr Balfour, speaking at the United Club dinner, London, said the progress of army reform had gone steadily on. Bannerman, Fowler, and Rosebery should, for very shame, have maintained silence when he thought of what these professors of efficiency did, and what they abstained from doing, when in power. His 11 gorgerose ” home defence did not require a large army. The aim must be to bring together into harmony the whole separate government within the Empire, and have a common soheme of defence, not dependent on War Office above, but drawing its strength from India and all the selfgoverning colonies. Reoeived 12.15 a.m., Nov. 80 London, Nov. 29. The trade in the paper machinery market, after investigating the effects of a retaliatory preferential tariff, consider Britain would gain little by preference, and stands to lose much by retaliation. The colonies import £3,361,000 worth of foreign machinery, chiefly American specialties. Possibly a trade worth £992,000 would be diverted to the United Kingdom, while the retaliatory tariff would bo likely to reduce British machinery sent to Europe by £25 per cent, causing a loss of over £2,000,000. An important meeting of Manchester freetraders adopted a resolution stroDgly condemning a reversal of the fiscal policy as certain to raise the price of food and manufactured goods, reduce trade, cause a war of tariffs, endanger relations with the colonies, and threaten the stability of the Empire.

Received 12 32 a m., Nov, 30 Mr Asquith, speaking at Truro, said the British exports to Germany, the United States, and France had increased 20 per cent, in 1902, compared with 1898. Freetrade tended to counteract violent, un necessary changes. They must consider trade as a whole, giving those forms of industry which Britain enjoyed tho greatest facility for the investment of labor and enterprise. Mr Wyndham, at Edinburgh, said if the proportion were the same now as in 1861 there would be nearly two millions more employed in thirteen particular trades, or compared with 1881 thero would be 890,000 more. He believed the workers would insist on volume and security of employment, instead of invisible exports and commercial repose. They would do a brisker business with the colonies, and secure the unity of the Empire, rather than exist on the sufferance of other countries. The resumption of fiscal negotiations would be a weapon to protect their colonial brethren from reprisals, and a sign that they meant to be masters of their own house.

Received 1.14 a.m., Nov. 30. London, Nov. 29. Mr ChamberleiD, in a letter to Mr Copeland on preferential trade, says : “ The details have yet to be spread, but that cannot be until we are in a position to negotiate. Meanwhile Ido not think that any. think I should ask could be more than a fair return for tbe large concessions I am prepared to give. If any colony wishes to remain outside of such arrangement they can of course do so. We cannot force them, and would not if we could. The whole idea is baaed on its tending to unite the Empire. If it does not do that they had better be beaten.”