Manawatu Herald. THURSDAY, JULY 10, 1902. Preferential Duties.

Manawatu Herald, 10 July 1902, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. THURSDAY, JULY 10, 1902. Preferential Duties.

| Wk have foreshadowed the result of 1 the attempt now being made to induce Great Britain to break through her Free Trade notions so that the dependences, the Greater Britain, might slip their own productions under a less tariff to that of our Foreign competitors. It is very j apparent that if the attempt fails we shall have to go on as we have been doing; we must send our produce to ! the world’s market, London, and we . must so make up our goods to meet | the fastidious tastes of the people. It is evidently the very best market or else all the world would not be pouring in their, productions in the way they do. "We have this market still before us and by buying other goods in that market for use in the colony wo secure that necessary double freight for steamers which enables us to send the more bulky of our exports i at a cheaper rate to what we could 1 do did the vessels not load easily for the trip from London to the colonies, i Whilst buying in Loadon, we arc, away from any sentimental feeling, buying in the cheapest market for | the colony. We are, in one way, in ! the position that the London merI chants are, we can buy in the cheapest or any market we like, but as merchandise is but an exchange of articles, we cannot expect any nation to take our products except we take something from them. It is the fact that Great Britain, requires so much in agricultural produce, and sells so much manufactured goods, which makes her such a splendid market, and it is just the same reason which compels her to keep her door Wide open for the trade she oau sell to the foreigner for payment of goods her inhabitants manufacture. As has been pointed out, any favouritism to Greater Britain means increased cost of food from Foreign countries, which means increased cost to the manufactures, handicapping trade against cheap continental labour, and thus seriously damaging the export trade she possesses. Viewed in this light it would seem terribly mistaken of her to do such an act. Great Britain needs all the food articles that are produced, the slightest cheapening of any one kind opening up an immense market with her 41 million of inhabitants. In the year 1900 Great Britain imported nearly 16 million pounds worth of bacon and hams, of which Greater Britain found a little over 1-J millions ; butter over 17 million pounds worth was imported, of which Greater Britain only sent three millions worth : and so the list could be extended, showing that before Greater Britain can make an impression on the London market she would have to prove, that if the worst came to the worst, she could easily keep the 41 millions of Great Britain in food at cheap prices. As yet the day for that is far distant and the view taken by the Old Country of the necessity of securing her children food, seems but a just and reasonable one.