BRITISH POLITICS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XII, Issue 1068, 9 December 1903, Page 2

BRITISH POLITICS.

THE FISCAL CONTROVERSY*

By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright

Londoo, Dec. 7. Lard Lytton, in a letter declining to subscribe to the Middlesex Conservative Unionists’ Association, declares that Mr Balfour represents himself as a freetrader, but wishes it to be understood that be is in couapleto agreement with Mr Chamberlain. The latter is exerting himself to the utmost to arouse the protectionists’ appetite to the contrary. Ho has little doubt that when the parly's education has been completed its policy will be Mr

Chamberlain’s. He added : “To that policy I am firmly opposed, and therefore unable to support it in any way.” The Birmingham Trades Council, after a heated discussion, by a large majority adopted a resolution in favor of freetrado, but declaring that the time has arrived to define our position as a manufacturing nation ; that workers ought not to be misled by the cry of high wages and old age pensions in return for a protective tariff. Mr Reynolds, representative of the Plasterers’ Society, the mover of tho resolution, declared that Mr Chamberlain was anxious for the Motherland to join in with the colonies because all oxcept perhapß Western Australia were in a condition of bankruptcy. He added: “ I would as soon bargain with America as the colonies, which Bimply study self-interest. I have seen greater depression and more unemployed in Australia than iD Britain. I believe Australia is on tho verge of bankruptcy, which will only be averted by English help,.”

Lord Crewe, speaking at Hull, said if dutios were imposed on Russia's and Germany’s goods, they would take an early opportunity of diverting the herring trade to the Scandinavians. Lord Tweedmouth declared that wo built in receut years two fifths of the world's tonnage lor ourselves and onefifth of the remainder for foreigners. This was due to freetrade. Free ports made our mercantile marine what it is. As regards unemployed, the lowest point reached in France was 8 per cent and the highest 15 per cent, as compared with 2 and 5 per cent respectively in England. The Parliamentary Committee of the Co operative Society has issued a circular in which it declares that now that Mr

Chamberlain's proposals are before tho country, our efforts to'resist it ought to be more strenuous and vigorous than ever. Co-operators distribute six million worth of flour aud other articles affected by a corn tax. Our society produces throe million worth of flbur. The proposals, at a fair estimate, will add half a million to tho purchasers’ cost. We distribute seven and a half million of dairy produce. The proposals will impose an additional jE300,000 taxation, also JE200,000 on cooperative meat. Owing to the dumping of glass bottles at St. Helens, Lancashire, 500 glassworkers bave been discharged.

LORD SELBORNE’S OPINION

By Electric Telegraph—Per Press Association—Copyright. Received 0.15 a.m., Dec. 9. LONDON, Dec. 8,

Lord Selborne, speaking at Edinburgh, said that Unionists must watch home rule. If their organisations showed "decay, home rule would revive. It was possible to change tariffs, but were a Parliament established in Dublin that could only be changed by a civil war. The Duke o£ Devonshire’s recent speech was unequivocally hostile to any preference to the colonies. Canada in 1894 approached Lord (Rosebery with preferential proposals and was told they were inadmissable m their actual form, but if they had been proposals for a zollverein the answer would have been different. 'Lord Rosebery replied that he favored reciprocity on a basis of free trade within the Empire, but with a uniform tariff against foreigners. Therefore, although the Opposition were now entitled to criticise the recent proposals, they were precluded Irom the assumption of the Duke of Devonshire. Commenting on statistics, Lord Selborne urged that the influence of the fiscal system on the condition of trade and population had been grossly exaggerated by both sides. Mr Balfour’s policy was justified on the ground of our precarious tenure of foreign markets. Regarding Lord Rosebery’s statement that the first result of the new proposals would be a bitter war with (Americans, he greatly misjudged the States if he thought their respect' for Britain would be increased by the fact that Britain had not even the spirit to defend her own commercial interests, but it was useless to attempt a reform of the 'existing system unless the people were behind them—that was why the mandate of the constituencies was being asked.

Received 1.21 a.tn., Dec. 9. London, Dec. 8. Continuing, Lord Selborne said that if the Empire were not hereafter united each part would be outweighted by other Nations. He did not say preference was the only road to unity, but it was a road, and he was unable, even on the Duke of Devonshire’s authority, to rule it out. If they took oare of the Empire, then employment, wages, trade, and food would take care of themselves.

Mr Chamberlain, in reply to a correspondent, stated that most of the large steel smelters in Britain were owned freehold. The mines did not pay royalties, but where royalties were paid these formed an insignificant proportion of the oost of iron.