Preference and the Conference.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXII, Issue 8794, 23 April 1907, Page 3

Preference and the Conference.

SIR,-— Tho Colonial Conference has begun its sittings and the poor dear old Mother Country is quite flustered by the visit of its lusty sons who, bred in a school of rougher manners, pushing, selfassertive and with the confidence of youth, will endeavour to push her into economic paths which are likely to add to her burdens for ti.e benefit of her already favoured children. No doubt there are many questions which the Conference may and will discuss for the mutual benofit of all, but that of preferential trade seems to occupy a considerable space iu the minds \oi delegates. Mr Deakiu and Sir William Lyne have both spoken on the subject in England, the former saying "he could not understand those who despised trade as a means of uniting an Empire" aud Sir William that Australians were ablo to supply produce cheaper than it could be obtained elsewhere if Britain would take it." Those remarks are surely somewhat Deside the mark for no party in land despises trale, seeing that its greatness is founded on trade; nor is it likely that if Australia can supply cheaper goods than elsewhere Englishmen would be such fools as not to take them. Tho whole contention of the Freetrade Party is that they should be allowed to buy in the cheapest market without tramels or clogs of any kind. It is fear of those tramels and clogs which makes the British people shy of the preierential proposals. Let us think for a moment what we are asking when we press on the Old Country preference trade with tho colonies. Remember in the first place that Great Britain's has been the only country in the world which has always offered us an open and free market for the disposal of our goods, besides which she has been at vast expense in founding and maintaining many of her colonies in the early days of trouble, as with us during the Maori war. She has borne and is still bearing a heavy taxation for naval and military purposes under shelter of which we maintain our independent existence 'and contribute next to nothing. In response what have the colonies done? Most of them have raised protective customs duties as high as possible to exclude importations of British goods. Now what do the colonies propose under the preferential scheme! They are not content with the free market England offers;us but want her to favour us by taxing the importation of foreign goods bv a scale of duties, which to be of service, 'must be high enough to raise the'price of those articles and consequently by a tax borne by the people of the Old Country for the good of the Colonies who are comparatively rich. Do the colonies propose any adequate return! tShall we lower our duties on British goods? I see no proposal so to do, on tho contrary I hear of demands for higher duties as the present ones, high as they are, do not sufficiently exclude English goods. All that we do, or propose to do, is to raise still higher the rates on foreign goods. Tins would certainly give a slight advantage to British trade where it could surmount the ordinary duty, but ",it would be dearly bought by England if she submitted to extra duties on her foreign trade. England is a huge manufacturing and trading community and must be cautious not in any way to hamper the free exchange of her goods for in such complicated relations are the various branches of manufacture and trade that, any undue pressure on oae, which might be brought about by taxation, would seriously affect others. I have no doubt that England will not be cajoled into the meshes of Protection by the specious arguments of preference and we have no right to feel aggrieved if that is so.—l am, etc., „, . W. J. BIRCIi, "Thoresby," 22nd April, 1907.