Imperial Tariff Reform.

Te Aroha News, Volume XXVII, Issue 4386, 16 March 1909, Page 3

Imperial Tariff Reform.

PREPARING FOR THE FRAY.

The following extract from a letter from its London correspondent published in the Evening Post is of considerable interest : i

Exactly the thing which was required to cement the ranks of the Conservative party against the present Government h:s occurred. On the face of it, there is a serious spii* amongst the Unionists, but it is simply the surgical operation necessary 1o the subsequent heal of an old wound. Whether it will heal now is to be seen.

The Unionist party had been blundering on for years, when Mr Chamberlain sowed the seeds of discord in the ranks bj declaring against the ancient and revered system of Free Trade under which England’s tremendous trade grew up. The party wculd not accept his pill holusrbolus, and when he retired from' the Cabinet it was almost on its last legs. Since then the Liberals have come into power. The success with which they have used it has appealed powerfully to the Unionist party, and it long since battered borne to the Balfour followers the hopelessness of their chance of getting buck to the Treasury beuehes so long as they were not sound on the one plank with which they could hope to oust the Liberals. The Asquith Government, while making certain minor concessions to Protection, and affording the country, in the Patents Act the best possible argument for more, declared itself staunchly and absolutely opposed to interference with the Custom tariff.

Closing up the Ranks— It only took two years of retirement to convince the Unionists of the wisdom of “ going nap” on fiscal reform. Ever since the great speech of Balfour at Birmingham, in November, 1907, it has been the official policy of the party, embodied in the following, reso • lutions :

That in the opinion of the National Union of Conservative Associations, the first constructive party of tbe Conservative and Unionist party should be the reform of our present fiscal system, with the view

1. Of broadening the basis of taxation.

2. Of safeguarding our great productive industries from unfair competition.

3. Of strengthening our position for the purpose of negotiating in foreign markets ; and

4. Of establishing preferential commercial arrangemr nts with the colonies, and securi*g for British producers and workmen a further advantage over foreign'' competitors in the colonial markets. —A Flutter in the Dovecot—

For more than a year this lay as a sort of dormant commission, until suddenly, on Monday, the political world was startled by the announcement that a dark conspiracy known as “ The Confederacy,” had binned certain members of the party, and that the Central Conservative Office would not support at the coming elections any candidate who did not unreservedly adopt the Birmingham reform policy. There was great excitement and quite a flutter in the dovecot. All parties began counting noses in the endeavour to discover What members on the Unionist side were likely to be affected. A great number had signified their adherence to the Birmingham policy shortly after it wa3 enunciated. Others were out-and-out Free< fooders. Five of these had already announced their intention of retiring at the end of the Parliament. Four others do not want to retire, and are ready to stand again if their candidature is adopted by the local associa tions.