BRITISH POLITICS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XII, Issue 1072, 14 December 1903, Page 2

BRITISH POLITICS.

.THE FISCAL CONTROVERSY,,

By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright LONDON, Dee. 11. Mr Austen Chamberlain, speaking at. Halifax, said personally he believed that a further development of the Government’s commercial policy would strengthen the bonds uniting the. Motherland and the colonies, which were already our best mers. 1-le added the fact, tlmt- his father’s proposals were not original, wherein lay their strength. Mr Asquith, speaking at Bradford, said the decline in value of exported woollens was largely due to a decline of 50 per cent, in the price of raw wool. He admitted that dangers were, ahead, but protection would aggravate such dangers. Mr Whitaker, M.P., addressing the Yorkshire Liberal Federation, said plenty of American and German manufacturers had settled in England, instancing Singer (sewing machinist), Westinghou.se (of railway brake fame), and Siemens (electrician-). Mr Woodhouse, M.P,.-, denied that the woollen industry was decaying. Me declared Bradford’s exports had doubled in 25 years.; Received 9.12 a.m., Dec. 13. Loudon, Dec. 12. The Duka of Devonshire, in a letter, advises electors sympathising with the Freo Food League not to support Unionists who express sympathy with Mr Chamberlain’s policy. Sir Thos. Sutherland, Chairman of the Directors of the Peninsular Oriental Company, presiding at a meeting of the company, said he was confident that Australian trade would speedily revive. Ho did not desire to enter into fiscal controversy, but so far as tho rovenue of 80 million of British shipping being available to pav an equivalent amount of imports it would bo a more correct estimate to say that owing to ship-owners’ heavy disbursements only only half would be available for payment of imports.

MORE OPINIONS.

By Telegraph—Pros3 Association—Copyright Received 12.36 a.m., Dec. 14. London, Doc, 13. Sir William Harcourt, speaking admitted that dumping required very sorious consideration. He was prepared to study any proposal. He did not believe that taxation of food could remedy dumping, which was tho outcome of trusts and the result of protection. He criticised Mr Chamberlain’s scheme in detail, and asked what they would got in return for taxation of food. There was no evidence that preference would create a material bond between the Motherland and the colonies. Ho would like to see tho wheat fields of England more cultivated. To talk of doing that by a 2s duty was nonsense. Germany was unablo to do it with 7s, and France was unablo to do it with 12s duty. In order to make Britain self-supporting 20s would not suffice, and would deprive ourselves of the world’s wheat fields. It would be madness to tie the bands of future finance Ministers. The Government was a derelict one. It had lost it best officers, and was washed about by waves, over which it had no control.

Sir Edward Fry, at Leods, asked whether we were sure the colonies meant the same thing as ourselves by preferential tariff. We heard of their passing many resolutions, but it was plain their idea was to increase duties agaiDst foreigners, not diminishing them against the British. Mr Chamberlain’s proposals would drag us into protection, and bring with it heart-burning and disappointuionfi, and would lead to political log-rolling by people seeking to enrich themselves at the community’s expense.