PREFERENTIAL TRADE

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2086, 22 May 1907, Page 3

PREFERENTIAL TRADE

MR. ASQUITH ATTACKED

Press Association—Copyright. LONDON, May 20.

The Times says: “Mr. Asquith assured us that the Conference had iiot strained the friendly feelings between the Home Government and representatives of the self-governing States in the least degree. Mr Churchill’s speech is an uncompromising denial of Mr. Asquith’s joptimism. How Imperial unity, or even the most ordinary good feeling, can be promoted by Mr. Churchill’s reckless language we cannot imagine. Preference after all is a colonial po-

licy, and lias been reaffirmed i!n pur, midst by colonial statesmen, yet lie glories in the fact that the Government banged the door on preference A:

nother strange lapse from statesmanship and good manners was Mr. Churchill’s lofty rebuke, implying that the Premiers had sinned against the laws of. hospitality. The Premiers did not come to be muzzled. Our knowledge of their conference speeches on preference, is restricted to only a meagre precis. To contend that the Premiers should hereafter he silenced because it might offend the Ministers’ amour propre is folly. It is only going a step beyond this to declare that the Premiers halfl no business to ask us to modify our fiscal policy at all —a view apparently seriously held in some quarters. The Premiers appreciate the situation, and believe.-that the educative effect of the Conference will be most important in its results.”