CABLE NEWS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 240, 6 November 1903, Page 2

CABLE NEWS

BY HLBOIBIU TILHOBAPH—<X>F»If>9f.

FISCAL REFORid,

BOTH 81DK8 OK THE QUESTIOW. PKtt PKF.'.f: ASSOCIATION London, November 5. TJio R :.'h - H 0... J. iin Jlwley, formerly Lit) rnl Chief Secretary for Ireland, at Nottingham, said it wu tirno tuo Minis'etin fiscal masquerade ended. Ho was confident the couatry would reject revolutionary proposal*. The workers, who wore the most comfortably off in Europe, lived in Britain, DdnmarV, and Holland—all practically free trailo countries, There was no finality in a policy of retaliation, which would b . coru'n to land us in the bogs ar>d quicksands of protection. He deel n d to b* misled by the phantasm*- J euri i of ■' Kinpiiv," and denied that Cobden desirid thj disruption of toe colonies. The policy of the early Radicals saved the colonies by Gwern* ment on the principle of freedom instoid of the principles of power and coercion, and the result secured waa mblor and more durable—allegiance based on the spontaneous attachment and national ali'jction by big hearted loyal men. The Right Sod. Austen lain, Chancellor of the Exchequerer, speaking at Aberdeen, said stagnant trade was not due to defective education, but was almost wholly attributable to foreign tariffs. A favoured nation clause was no real defence.

The Times says that foreigners haw been warned that fair play ii shown, Britain will withdraw her unparalleled hospitality. Mr Marcus Dorman, in a letter to the Timet, says the census revtpl* that the numbers employed in nine important industries decreased by 311,680 in 22 years, principally io agriculture, silk, nails; and tin plates iodiutrie*. The rate of progress of the others has. variously declined during the lart decade, compared with the previous one. WAFM SUPPORT BY NEWFOUNDLAND. Beoelved G, 3.52 p.m. London, November 4. The Board of Trade of Saint Newfoundland, warmly supports Mr Chamberlain's preference proposals, a* an act of farseeing and courageous statesmanship. Lord Baruchamp, spsaking at Hale*owen, Worcestershire, said that what was needed was a little more energy on the part of manufacturers. MP. OHAMBfcRLAIN AT BIRMINGHAM, Received 5, 11.25 p.m. London, November 5. Mr Chamberlain addressed 10,000 people at Bingley Hall, Birmingham,, four guineas beiug paid for many of the seats, and thousands being disappointed at being unable to obtain admission.

Mr Uhamberlaio, who wag aocorded an immense reception, said he vu grateful that bo many recognised thai his ideals were no; the delusions of a m&draan, He was conviocej the workers would keep an open mind, and. not necessarily consider it blasphemous to re-adopt a policy which was 50 years old, to modern requirement*. His opponents declared that in the days of protection,, the country was in a state of unex*mplod misery acd destitution, owing to t;he corn laws and protection, and that w hen they were repealed there was a magical chang.?, with cheap food and u'liveisaPprobpL-rity, all resulting from fiscal changes. That was a p pular delusion, if his opponents' view was correct how did tbey acoount (or protected countries progressing more rapidly than ourselves ¥ He then entered into a long historical argument to show that years of great prosperity ! under protection had placed England iu tha foremost rank of nations, with an, absolute commercial supremacy of the world. The crisis of 1841 was not dne to protection or the dear laaf, but to bad trade and over production. Bread was much cheaper th»n it had been many times sinoe the repial of the Oorn Laws. Received 6,1.81 a.m.

London, November 5. Mr Ohamberlaia oontinued: —The chartists instigated ri i's to secure eleo* toral leforms, but th.i Uaders opposed the com laws. Fro'»tnuln was a nun* faoturer's, not a workm 'h, movement. Regarding the uipiirallilttd pratper* ity of the next; quarter of a caotury, he> declared it was due to {told and the development of railways and steamers in stimulating trade previous to protection enabled England to take advantage of the boom. Apart from the non-fulfilment of Oobden'a expectation of free exchange between nations, a great change occurred over the political and commercial relations with tb* colonies. The trade of the oslonies increased by leaps and bounds, concealing the deficiency in our foreign trade. It was, said Mr Chamberlain, to our inturests to stimulate the prosperity of the colonivß, apart from any consideration of affaotioa and gratitude. At present emigrants chiefly settled under a foreign flig, and Empire was losing their support y they settled in Canada they *ould buy £2 worth of British p'ods yearly; if in Australia £5 worth; if in South Afrioe more. 1* was much better to develop colonial trade than to pick up the foreign crumbs. Everything contributing to the increase of the prosperity of the colonies and to fill up their waste lands wgjM renal favourably on the Motherland, " If you do not sympathise with, md do not listen to the colonies bsoama ' hoy have adopted a polioy different to voureslves; if you r-jact their patriotio offers, partly inspired by a dtsire to co-operate in the task of sustaining r -hi) Empire, the opportunity may never recur. Without a bond of commercial unity we shall never SAcure Imperial Federation." The free trade leaden in 1864 were not enthusiastic toward* tin colonies, Cobdeu and a larg» p irty hoped the ties would be but now the circumstances wer» obanged. He sometimes questioned if modem free traders had really abandoned their antiquated views, sad wh other they really desired olosur relations with the colonies. Harcourt's, Binnerman's and Courtney's speeohM i did not revoil a true appreciation of what the Empire means, or any uathy with this great ideil of ch» British people. He added; " I cannot sr-e that they care a brass button about Imperial union, but only about the union of the Radical Batty, I don't iTribute similar view" to Mr Richia, Lord Goachec, th* Duke ef Devonshire, iod Sir M, B.;oks-Baach, though £ am totally unable to understand their position. They seem to be Imperialist* n theory, and Little Engenders in •n practice. They wish to see an Imperial union, yet refus« to do anything tog oureit, Sir M. Hfoka-Bescb refused preference to Australian wine, also tei, sugar, and oorn, and fa* refused to do little better for his broth** *

than for strangers. That was not an Imperialist policy. The Free-food Leagua at first professed themselvess determined free traders, and would not support a Goverment pledged to stop unfair foreign competition and dumping. The free-fooders protest was less against protection than against preference for tlft Colonies.