PREFERENTIAL TRADE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2075, 9 May 1907, Page 2

PREFERENTIAL TRADE.

Pross Association.— CopyrightMR LLOVD

Mr. Llo-d George, in the course of his spowh, said the Government fully shared Sir Joseph Ward s do sire to bring the colonies nearer t Government. They realised that the Empire grow or produced almost everything it needed. The problem was how to bring the products to markets at rates which would no unduly handicap the coloni , i competition with foreign countiie*. Sir Wilfrid Laurior and otlieis hold that the best way was to _ reduce» t natural disadvantage of distance, thus to ensure prompt and cheap delivery of food and raw material Mr. Lloyd George admitted that ih> acceleration of inter-imperial communication would benefit • increasing facilities for the sale goods, the renewal and development of trade, and opportunities foi cx ■ifondod emigration, they would advance towards unity of the Empi . The Government had no ooncre scheme. He submitted that the problem was complex and difhcul , but believed that it was not beyond the resources of statesmans lip. Atlhile preferential tariffs must involve duties on corn and raw materials, increasing the prices, improv- ■ ed transport facilities would probai bly clioapen tho prices of colonial 1 products. He did not propose then Ito submit a definite plan. It would 1 be better to elaborate schemes slow!ly after thinking out the problem, j When such schemes were prepared 'and presented with full responsibility of the respective Governments each would examine them and confer iurther. Ho denied that the Government had given the cold shoulder to the colonies. They had given tho same answer that the colonies would have given had the British Government tried to induce them to change their fiscal system. They were unable to give any other reply, as the colonial representatives knew before leaving homo. He asked them to consider the condition of a ’tltickly-populated country like Britain, which dopended on supplies from other lands, and with conditions very different from the colonics no alteration of tho fiscal system would end the blemishes of our social system. The causes were deeper and older. The Government, believed the change from freetrade to protection would simply aggravate tlio existing difficulty. The colonies, profiting by the lessons of the Old World, were dealing with social and economic evils effectively before they hardened into malignity. The Government appealed to the colonies not to countenance any scheme, -of however much profit to them, which involved the risk of increasing the Existing evils of the older country. Mr. Deakin vainly urged the holding of earlier and later sittings in order' to expedite the business of the Conference.

AN OUTSPOKEN SPEECH. LONDON, May

Sir W. Lyne received ail ovation at Sheffield. Workmen were especially enthusiastic. He addressed a large meeting of members of the Chamber of Commerce at the Cutlers Hall on the lines of his Conference speech, but was more outspoken. He declared Australia was prepared to supply Britain with all the wheat it wanted at 4d a bushel cheaper than the Argentine’s present prices. All the statements about a dear loaf were absolute moonshine. After the Conference speeches there was no excuse for asserting that the colonies did not favor preference. At presell t Australian farmers had no guarantee that Britain would' not give their market to foreigners. ( Surely if they were able to get a steady supply at the same or lower rates the British ought to be willing to take it from our flesh and blojid. Referring to the duty recently placed on American farming machinery, Sir W. Lyne stated he was prepared - to increase it if it would induce British manufacturers to make that machinery. He emphasised tjie disproportional growth of foreign shipping and manufactures in the harbors of Australia, with the beggarly increases and in some cases decreases of British trade. While Australia expected for many years to be dependent on the British navy, yet shortly it would be inoved she was prepared to help herself and also to h'ailp the Motherland as far as the navy was concerned. MOTION PASSED. ’LONDON, May 7. At the Conference, the resolution of 1902 was carried. After the British Government representatives had recorded dissent, the motion was amended by Mr. Deakin and Sir Joseph Ward, and then carried. It leaves each part of the Empire at (liberty to select the most suitable means of promoting greater freedom and the fuller development of commercial intercourse within the Empire. It recognises the desirability of co-operating in matters of mutual interest. AFRIKANDER BOND DIVIDED. CAPETOWN, May 7. Mr. J. X. Harriman, at Victoria West, Cape Colony, spoke against preference, showing that the Afrikander Bond was divided on the subject. SPEECH BY MR. CHURCHILL. Received May 8, 10.8 p.m. LONDON, May 8. At the Imperial Conference Lord Elgin said that he was personally satisfied to accept Messrs. Asquith’s and George’s statements, hut Mr. Churchill would say a few words. Mr. Churchill dealt chiefly with the Parliamentary, party, and diplomatic aspects of preference. He declared that any scheme must contain dangerous possibilities for mischief which would prove aggravating political peril. lie could imagine nothing more injurious to the good relations than raising bitter questions of taxation every year which were certain to lead to severe criticism of the colonies causing an inexhaustible source of vexation. Preference was only possible by gains of taxation on six or seven staple articles of food and raw materials, which the United Kingdom would never accept. However light the duties were they were bound to effect prices, which would impoverish the people, who were sure to resent concessions bringing such results. It would cause sullen anger and was certain to breed unhappy consequences, besides greatly intensifying the' party bitterness immensely and causing difficulties to which they were already exposed in the discharge of party business.