FISCAL REFORM.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 10, 13 January 1904, Page 2

FISCAL REFORM.

THE I ill KlO OF DEVONSHIRE AM) AIK CHAMBERLAIN, LONDON, Jan. 11. The Duke of 1 >e\onshire in October wrote Mr ChanflJeriain respect iiiig the impossibility ol' advanl aguHlsly inu:i.nliiiji!i'n,g tin* Central Liberal Unionist Association, owing to divisions amongst the members urn the Ktue.-aion of lineal reform. A4r Chamberlain ex pressed as'Uynishnient, since local associations lia.d always been lire to uhvi'de points outside tlx* imimnliate party programme. After a kuvg i'nrjv.spon\li'n-co ami a futile attempt to arrange harmonious ac-t-ion, All' Chamberlain announced hl/nt he would shortly convene u u.vothig of the -assotTatiom, stating fl.at he believed the vast majority ol fcU» rank mud tile would support him. i D not, , he and hi« supporters would WiUidiaw. '1 l)t' Dukie of Devonshire 11 ehiied Unit Mr Oka mjber la in under- : I'a'U'J life, gravity oi* the issue ho had imsod. 1 lis asamnplinn Hurt in en might 'he content to dilfer fiscally an*.! yet act togetiher was untenable, •vlany Unionists were ,>ot prepared to surrender free trade becanw at ■some _ future time the Home Rule fcj.vestion be revived. The diilerences between Mr Chamberlain and humsWi Wt »re not less vital amd ur- | guit as <j|:iosti7>ns ol' practical politics tan those which had separated j I'lvoin from Mr (Maidstone. If Mr j -ImnJ-A'rl'.iin persists in dividing tlw LHi onus Ls into sections, the Duke detlared, he would resign the preside oilcv oi the association, und Air Ummberlam repliud, -The resig-na-turn oi some of its ■ mouidiera nml not. -deprive the association of its i epresi ni ati ve character.'' SPEECH BY Mft CHAMBERLAIN Receiwd lii, 11,55 p.m. LONDON, Jan. 12. Speaking at a banquet given by the Jiirm imgliiam jewellers and silversmiths Mr Chamberlain warmly eulogised t'he watg'ucity of Oho col-< onies in so quickly recognising and so splendidly responding to their imperial responsibilities in the late war. It was juwt time British people took mora account of the colonies. "It was no longer possible," ha said, " to consider them as a negligible factor in the world's history. We must consult them more frequently and abandon some of our antiquated prejudices in order 1 0 meet their views. Our Empire all the elements of strength, and was permanent—but in one solution. Our dut.t was to crystalise and solidify it." He claimed that the Tariff Commission was the most remiirkablu representation of trade and industry 'ever constituted in fji«eat Britain. Received I.'], 1,11 a.m. ' LONDON, Jam* 12. Mr Oluamlwrlain, continuing, said hw coinbdently reiterated that British expoi-ls .to protected countries weii» either stasgfna'nt or diminished. They were so successfully excluded t/hat nothing enteiod but odds and enids, and aiticky which were udmitUd on Njjeci'aJ grounds were the oiinly ones increasing. Colonial tratlo Imtd a\ertud the sivarjwit commercial experience of tilio century, for both colonial amd H'ome markets were Possibly as a mere distributing agent the Empire, the home of mllliona'ireM anrd their tie-ixtnfdt-nls. with no proidncUve industries, might be richer than at prcs#ant ; but certainly uot greater. AliTatdy tRe imports of foroigii pr<>tected nianui'actuivs exceeds British imj»oits to protected cotuntriey. Pcoj>le who exclaimed that "We arr so pt«o.mei<oius" were living in a Wl'i imrardise.

Received 13, 1.22 a.m. LONDON, Jan. 12. Mr Chamberlain If CoUdomtee were canwt count.■» I,Y cent, duties to be ruined : !„ „ V ? re twll i )uUl >B' successfully in ncutial markets and in colonies where our kinsfolks' prejudice and •sentiments were altogether in •avour. A scientific tariff was ncnlto piotect tho Home markets ami «ith V roV S <iC ' al "" tX ' ual tel- "'S "H i uotecUxl nations ; to TOOJj | e „ to take advantage of Imperial sentiment ar„.l |„y a firm „ M penna"t r,^r s li r; o,,r suS a policy wckiM not only insure immediate prosperity in this generation, but would co'iistruot the meat mperial dominion on which depends the civ'liMvtiwn nulKi pea( , o Qf t r um*v t i p p),ositi ™ ***** men • vol <) fif 0 "'" 18 °' '«y country--uiy views, ' Ulie Colning neß,w tO-