COBDEN CLUB DINNER.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXII, Issue 8857, 6 July 1907, Page 2

COBDEN CLUB DINNER.

Churchill on Preference. Press Association —Copyright. London, July 5. At tho Cobden Club’s annual dinner Mr Churchill said no offer was made at the Imperial Conference except the offer to take everything we can give. The Conference produced absolutely no effect upon the freetrade forces of the country or on the organisation of the liberal and Radical parties, but produced a profound effect upon the Conservative party which was now a homogeneous, solid, agreed protectionist party. The Imperial preference movement did not derive force from the desire to unify tho Empire, and if not supported by the driving power of selfish vested interests the movement possessed no life, stability or strength. Subventions to common objects would serve to unite the Empire equally as well as preference, Senator Pulsford, of Sydney, responding for the cause of freetrade, declared that hundreds of thousands of Australians were freetraders and gloried in Britain’s freefrqd’e policy. ‘ Sqmo day a wave of freetrade opinion would sweep over the Commonwealth determining it to stand shoulder to shoulder with the motherland in attempting to make a freetrade Empire.