FISCAL UNITY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 131, 4 June 1903, Page 3

FISCAL UNITY.

BI XUOTBIO nUGBAP^—OOFXBI9FS,

MR OOPELAND GRA.BPS THE SITUATION. PBB PRESS ASSOCIATION. London, .Tune 2. Mr Oopeland, Agent-General for New Bouth Wales, in a letter to the Standard reviewing Australia's trade eays:— " If in the next forty years the increase is in the same ratio is it not worth an effjrt on the pirb of the Motherland to secure and retain the lion's share? Shall the diversion of our trade to foreign countries continue to grow or shall the Empire's trade channels be made more navigable and attractive ?" After urging that there is no need to fear the world if it rises in fi cal arms against Britain, if Mr Chamberlain's policy is adopted, Mr Oopeland add?, "This is already the rase. Whereas Cobden aspired to a double sided reciprocal frcetrade, British manufacturers and producers cannci cam a satisfactory return if manufacturers employing the cheapest white labour find an ever open market wherein they can undersell British products," FINANCIAL NEWS ADVOOAOY OP 80HEHIf. London, June 2. The Financial News strongly supports Messrs Chamberlain and Balfour's preferential policy, and predicts that tbe Union dissentients will commit political suicide unless tbey support Mr Ohambarlain. GERMANY'S DEFENCE. Received 4, 1.1 a.m. Bbrlin, June 3. The Narrd Deutsche Zeitung denies that Germa-ay has puoiehed Canada, as the tariff law was automatically opera- — tive. It also denies Germany is interfering with the relations between the Motherland aid the Colonies', and B'ate! that Britain on several occasions bad emphasized the contention that the eolonit s must be considered as countt ies with their own tariff systems, fcence they were treated as independent Customs units. London, June 3. Mr Ha'dane, speaking at Haddington, said the national wealth hud increased by the free import of raw materia], and the free import of fool, income tax returns showed a steady growth of wealth. A duty on food would benefit some of the colonise, while o'her colonies would ask for a doty on riw material, A preferential duty on wool would ruin Bradford, The keynote of federation was the realisation of the Empire's common purpose?, including defence, an Imperial Court of Appeal, federation ol the education ays'em, and improved means if transit. Mr Obamberlain'f policy was a leap in the dark.

Ihe Standard, commenting od (he Nord Deutsche, cays it was an indefeaeible dccttine that no colonial concession by the Motherland would be subject >to the consent or approval of outsiders. The assumption tbat England occupies, fiscally, the same position as an alien State is now disowned.

The lima emphasize Germany's scientific adjus'ment of duties, imposing or withholding, acc:rdiog to the particular class or conditions. Commenting on the divergence between Australian statetm=n, tbe Australian Press says protection in Australia will not be held to exclude arrangements of a business kind, which the ipgenuity of statesmen may device. It will ba cecisary, meanwhU", bo far m the Motherland is concerned, to instruct the constituencies as to the dangers threatening, etou'd the economic tendencies of the world at large develop, as they promise to do, to the disadvan'age of the country.

DRESSING DOWN THE FEDERAL PREMIER, A SCATHING attack. Received 4,1.50 a.m. Melbourne, June 3. In the House, Mr Bruce Smith, debating the address-in-reply, scathingly condemned Sir E. Barton,and taunted hjjn with lacking courage to submit the preferential trade question. " Little did Mr Ohamberlain know of the wretched, miserable parochialism of! the publio men here when he exp3cted he would get ' great; assistance from them in furthering tr e great ideal of Imperial unity.\ Sir E. Burton had adopted an ex'raordintry paradoxical attitude with regard to preferential trade. The assurance given by him in London that ht> wotld submit the question to mtnt bad donbtltss given Mr Obamberlain some sort of hope he would meet that reciprocity which he regards as indispensibie to the movement." Mr Smith mid that, personally, he regarded the preferential sohtme as impracticable.