Rangitikei Advocate. WEDNESDAY MARCH 6, 1907. SECOND EDITION. EDITORIAL NOTES.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXI, Issue 8757, 6 March 1907, Page 2

Rangitikei Advocate. WEDNESDAY MARCH 6, 1907. SECOND EDITION. EDITORIAL NOTES.

THE favourable impression conveyed by ilie cabled summary oi* the figures for the foreign trade of the United . Kingdom for the past yearns fully borne out by the more detailed accounts received by mail. The value of tho imports amounted to the huge Kiai.' of £007,988,000, an increase of 'iii'.PtSS.-000, or ■7.(5 percent. ; and the exports of British and Irish produce were valued at £375,073,000, an increase of £45,85(5,060, or 13.9 percent. These figures are much larger than tUose for any other year sinqe thess returns were first issued. Tho volume of the re-export trade is also gratifying, the total being £85,103,000, an increase of £7,383,000, 0r9.5 percent. A glance at the more prominent details in no way weakens tl'jo. impression which has been conveyeu bv the totals. Jn the imports the increase in raw materials and articles mainlv unmanufactured is greater than that of tho total imports, being over 13 per cent. ; that _m "articles wholly or mainlv manufactured '' is &hont"SX cent. la the exports, artick-s wholly or mainly manufactured show n.u increase of 13.5 per cent. The increase in iron and steel is £8,000,000, 'or over 35 per cent, m value, and 1X57,000 tons or jij>out 3(! per cent., in quantity. .Some .i1'.0;.;-..-ance must be made for the rise in prices but the general advance of prices was only about sis per cent. These figures disprove most emphatically Mr Chamberlain's assurance that British trade was decaying owing to tho fiscal system in foroc. Admitting that countries with pro--tectivo tariffs are also prosperous at present it is clear that freetrade is iio bar to the success of the British industries. The problem for the consideration of the voters in the United Kingdom lias therefore changed. Thevhave to decide whether it would be "'advisable to subvert a svsten: to which the country is ae. customed, and which under favourable conditions .can admittedly produce ,'.splendid results, .in order to enter' upon a series of experiments in duties winch quite possibly would fail to ensure greater prosperity. We had hardly doubt .what is the safe and wise course to take under the circumstances.