EMPIRE GOODS.

Hokitika Guardian, 10 November 1923, Page 4

EMPIRE GOODS.

THE PROSPECTS OF IMPERIAL PR EFEREKCE. LONDON', August. 10. 11 wuiild In- foolish tii affirm lh.it ihe British Gove: liiiienf. at the eoming I m (>•• i i:il (.’oiil'crem-e v. ill nut agree to Mr Bruce's spiriti-tl demand, on bnhalr of Australia, for ft .British profoffvttial tarilf on till Kmpi■ r* goods. Yet it would he equally foolish to (lent that the difficult iex ill the way ate very e-oiiaiderable. (100 much ol ti* tlisctissiou of this suhjerl is conducted hy writer-: in which the visit is father to the thought.. *1 hose who want Imperial prcleiviire iitittiniise the obstacles: in its path, while those uli'iwe eentmmie treetl it summed up in the words ".Itee trade'' exaggerate the perils of any divergence. however slight, front the rigid orthodoxy of two generations ago. An nttentj t to give a sternly dispassionate view ol the situation ns tt is tuny therefore he helpful. \s tite question is primarily to he handled hy the pulitii Lns. the politit.nl aspect of it stands first in importance. Now it. is obvious to any student of current affairs in (front Britain that the severed factious ol the Liberal party \v : otiltl rejoice with exceeding joy if the (ioveriunent were to take up p’retor. oneo in real earnest, alttl procet d to a; pdv it on .t large s -ale. ike sections led hy Mr Lloyd George and Mr Asquith are held apart not merely by por. soniil tpiatrtds. but also by minor political (inferences, which, in the absence of any stimulating Liberal programme, have assumed all unreal important e. It the Government were to give them the Gpp u'tui.ity of declining that tree trade the Ark of the eld Liberal Cove-

nant - was in danger, must, if not quite all. Liberals, would with one accord insist that these | et tv divisions should erase, and Dial the leader-, like the rank and file should eo-operate in resisting a “tax on. the people's food." Since the war repeated efforts t : o reunite the Liberal party on this basis have failed, partly been use free trade did not seem to the general public to he endangered by a small measure like the Safeguarding of Industries Ait. partly .Localise Mr l.loyd George and his section of Liberals wei<> fully committed to the principle of iho A'l: partly, 100. because Mr .-Wpiith’s acceptance. at an early stage- o! the war. of the Raids n soilit i'ons in favour ol protection against German imports, has not yet been explained away us a mens lv provisional declaration against an emergency that might never at is.-. ' LIBERAL HOLES.

Hut shrewd Liberals believe tlu-l if the Conservative Government declared lor a far-reaching scheme ol Intpeiial preference the electorate might be induced in regard it as an entirely new ami extieiiielv dangerous policy, m <’.pI.Asimi which' the Liberal party might I rc.-iner its lost bold over the

masses. I in-much as ih,- high ,ost <>t living is the perennial -lihjc -I ol <omplauu. and is at the hotu.m ol every industrial dispute, the Lid.oiir patty could li"t alfol'd to lag b.elimd the Liberals in dewouncing preteivneo. though it cannot with truth he said that Labour is in principle hostile to protect ion ■ whether of British labour I, eoiuniodiiy or of the things made liv British labour. The Opposition parties. tIK-.i. t; on!d bo fully a2m-.hn resisting any (rove Turnout propo-ml mr full pieferoiitial tarilf. ami mainly 1,11 the ground that it would send up the cost ol living which is still t-xi e.-sive. |,-Hither it. is hy no means true that all < inisei-viitivc-s aie in favour of p,elorenee or | loteei uu. The tree Hade section. Whose secession or '"action lu-ou-dil Mr Ralioui's Ministry u> an i ml in l!»l'), and gave the Liberals H'eir over's helming majority at the general election of .January, BKHL is still large ami inline,itial. though it is not well represented in the Dress, ,-ou.f these (Ym-.erv.itL e froetrade: - niigbt be per-uaded to waive their objections either nut of party loyally < r through tliei I g.j.U-fnl I eg' l'll for ih- dominion--,vh,,o help >n the war will remembered by true l-.uglishnu-n. lmt most freetraders in the Conservative ranks are still uneasy about the Saleeiinrding of Industries Act—a measure which, though aimed against “dumpino." empowers 111 c* l’oaltl 'ol liaue to" ini...dace «lml is hardly distinguishable from a genera! priiLcrUmiist tarilf—aid would with diflieiilty be induced to go further in the direction of tarilf iiderin. Moreover, there is a widespread feeling among Conservatives whatever their views Yin the t wifi qncstir,n. that this is not the time to mi-e any large new issue. Mr lb nar Law has 1)1-1-11 much ridiculed hy opponents fur his assertion, when he took office.

1!•.; 1 1 lie meant to give ill.' CMintr.v qtlilitv. To the dispassionate n'.scrvrr. Ironever, there can 1.0 no tbal m (.hi-; Mi Bonar Law lightly inU-ioM.-i.-M the "desires of a. largo section of Ft people, especially hi.-, own pit! i y. A- - ti\ ■ jutirmilisis atul young | olilic.nu.in a hurry tr-nVI to over-estimate He public demand for tin- novel t"" 1 ll "' seiiM.tional. mir.l to forgot tluii. this stoodv-going natron lots had to experience in the l ast ton yens as many thi-iiu ns would ho tho normal allowance for o cent, i, y. One ohnunt find among ordinary men and women any pu-xi ( malo do-di-o lot- n i'll V'ino and loarini; political campaign on any snhi.-,1. V. hatevi-f. and tho professional i flo: ito initiate such a t-milii't have lalhoi Hat. it may safely h-' as-umod. then, that a huge port inn of the Conservative pally. whether fcvnuri'lde to pro-ferr-noo or not. is hy no means iinxi-ots

that the Oovcriiment should lake up the question seriously and risk their t<n11,nos on it. Alt Baldwin tied his Ca’-i----n,-t may will hesitate M ado: t a pohry v Id' ll will i-i-i tni nly 'mite then- opponents and is likely to divide their I'riends. I-;: OXOAIK' DIFFKTLTIF.S. If from the political standpoint the difficulties are formidahle. they are not ii:c loss {rrciit in tin* rronomu* It is u;ten lonir/iton hy v-hn clispreference and protection that (dived Britain, eommeri-ially, is made up of manufacturers and of merchants, and that a tariff police which may suit one of these classes will he anathema to the other. Most, though not all. manufacturers, especially in the iron and steel trades and the clothing trades, would iirohahlv welcome a high tariff on for-

eign goods, coupled with a generous preference to Empire goods, which would not. as a rule, compete with theirs. But the merchants generally are adverse front tariffs. They like to he aide to buy in the cheapest markets, wherever these may he found, and to export goods, whether British or foreign, to tlu-ir customers oversea. The leading spiiit of a large export house. 1 doing business uiili the dominions, on being asked whether Imperial preference would suit him, expressed the utmost

I horror at the prospect, declaring- that it I would greatly impede his operations and prevent him from fulfilling his clients orders ;i' promptly and a> exactly as hitherto. One must allow for the natural conservatism of traders, hut it i' probable that most British exporters would express similar views. The,if opposition to preference is not to be underestimated, because they are influential, numerous, and well organised, and because they count for more in most ■>: the larger centres, especially London, than the manufacturers who are scattered through the country. Neither class could determine the issue. That would rest with the masses of working men and women, many of whom, it must be remembered, have but a veryindirect interest either in the manufacture or in the export of goods, though,

of course, we arc all ultimately dependent on our oversea trade for existence. If Imeprial preference in the full sense is to he adopted it would have to Ikshown to our twenty millions of voters that a preferential tariff on Empire goods, coupled as it must he with a general tariff on foreign goods, would not appreciably raise the cost of living, and would on the other hand increase employment in the immediate future. All depends on the success with which this proposition can Ik- demonstrated in plain terms that the mail in the street can understand. I IOCSEWIFE'S I!DIG FT. The current belief, shared even by many people who would like to strengthen the tics of Empire by giviii*s the dominions special 'advantages in our markets, is that, as our chief imparts from the dominions are foudstiilt's and raw materials, preference to them must m an a notable increase in llu- housewife's budget. Whether this is true or not, I slnil! not consider, but it is evident that the belief in itself tells against the acceptance ol a preferential tarilf. The advocates of preference, rightly or tint, maintain that by a small sacrifice on this account we should gain much, but the average elector, weighed down by stupendous taxes and bud trade, is in no mood to make any fresh sacrifices unless it is very definitely shown that he would get hack more than he stands to lose. The longstanding embargo on the importation of live cattle was waived in favour of Canada lasi year, partly because we were said to he pledged to do so, hut mainly because the embargo was said, truly oi- untruly, to he keeping up the price of meat, ll would he hazardous to expect the British voter to declare for Imperial preference unless lie were given plausible grounds for expecting some tangible benefit in return for the increase, large or small, in bis weekly bill-. If and when the Dominion repre--.entiitives argue tin- ease for preference I,cion- popular audiences, n i- important that they should address I heinseiveto this practical side of the matter. They may safely take fur granted the universal desire of the British people for closer relations with the dominions. Hut they mu-t not assume that the lull hearings of Imperial preference are nn-drr-.lnod, or that its probable elieet- on trade in general or on the individual I ousohold are rightly appreciated. What i- wanted, in short, is a plain draft ol'a pr.Tcreniial iarilf, shoniig in detail what duties the dominions would like us to levy on the several eliisxs of goods. We have had more than enough of general argument on this matter during the last twenty or thirty years. What do the dominions want, and what mu they give us in return '? When these questions arc clearly answer* d. Ihe llrilish electors will for the first time be in a position to return an intelligent verdict on the ease. At present. in- leels himself in a mental fog.