The Daily News THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28. THE COMMONS AND PREFERENCE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVIII, Issue 81918, 28 February 1907, Page 2

The Daily News THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28. THE COMMONS AND PREFERENCE.

It is a little remarkable to the people ; of Australia and New Zealand that the House of Commons docs not see eye to eye with the majority of people in the colonies who observe in an Imperial system of preference at least a )arg"r measure of trade in colonial raw-mat-

erials and general products of the soil. The House qf Commons lias voted against colonial preference heavily, and preference is defeated by 35;j 'to !)8 votes. 'The point, of course, to the Commons, ami, therefore, to the pie of Britain, is. that Britain's markets are open to tiie world; thai, to clo-ie or half close them to any nation would disastrously affect international trade relations; j hat, if Hie colonies could not compete as tu price with other nations, the worker in Britain would pay dearer for h s comiiioilit; (s, and that the ewe-!amb of Britain's comiiibreial relationship with Itlie world—freetrade— would lie slain, j Mr Balfuur, whose opinions on every i subject must he listened to with res- | peet, Lecause he is Mr Balfour, rather ambiguously says that the Br.tMi basis of taxation sliouid be widened in order to gain admission to foreign inar- ; kets, and to secure a preferent ul basis for clo.-er trade relations with the colonies. One would think that, one method would defeat the other, for if new foreign markets arc exploited for the purchase of raw materials and foodstuffs, it naturally follows tha'J there is a smaller and more difficult market for the colonies. Frcetrade is in the bones of the British people in Britain merely because the Britsli people are unable to sec 'that a partially restricted Inarket is likijly to reduce the cost of Jiving to the great mass of people.

Britain is absolutely and entirely dependent on the outside world for its daily bread, and Britain wants to be convinced beyond all possible doubt that colonial preference means no extra charge on them for food. Curiously enough British statesmen look upon cheap food alone as all that is necessary as a sop to the poor. In all the long discussion ou preferential trade with 'the colonies, no politician regarded the poverty of the "lower classes" as anything but a permanent condition of .Home life. Food is very dear indeed in New Zealand, although in the matter of mere necessities we aie able, unlike Britain, to produce all we can eat or need to eat. Despite tiiis we have no real pauper problem, and fio class of people who are habitually hungry or are affected by the high cost of actual feeding. The British Commons evidently do not approach the problem of a hungry people villi a d '- s : re to make the hungry ones capable of earning enough' to make hunger impossible, but with the firm conviction that they have always been poor anil must continue always to bo poor and that the chief aim of politics is to keep the two pound loaf from rising to the price of threepence. Do not reduce the poverty, but reduce the price of the loaf.

Mr liamsay MaeDonald, "who was lately in tiie colonies apparently examining conditions here, luis said that Australia has threatened to stop the export of raw material. Australia isn't quite Mich a composite fool. That Australia and New Zealand too should work strenuously to prevent the neci e.-sity qf sending its raw materials ; away is in the highest degree progr.s- ---| sive, but that either can ail'ord at | present to withold raw materials from .export is absurd. It would of ! eour.se bo a more gratifying thing for . (.he colonies to use up most of their [ raw in the colonies, but neither Australia nor New Zealand is developed siiJlieently industrially to ma ke MacDoiin Id's content on sine. It must be remembered Unit even ! though the colonies should withhold all I BUpplies from Britain that Britain would still not notice any material d.minution of supply, and it is of course because eoloinil supplies sire comparatively unimportant tint the Commons refuse to regard the matter ot colonial preference seriously. The Britisher aii Home i- nol gui.li-d by ik'iitiineiit. and cojonlah fo r their pirt do not regard compulsory colou'al preference ifroni a s-entlmental standpoint, ll is a ouestion of cash pure mid simple. on both sides of the water. The British person is no- hanker ng for Colonial supplies if the said t .os are dearer than Argentine good-; or American 'goods or Dutch goods or any other kind of goods, it is absurd for colonials to believe that preference should be forced on Briton.* because we are related to them. If the colonies can ever show thai colonial rawmaterials can be landed i-t England and sold at a cheaper rate or ;is cheaply ad fore'gu goods, there will be no need for preference and the Britisher Will willingly buy the colonial article. |.n the meantime Brim in is jfrcetrade lo the marrow iuul will continue io bj until the Empire is self supporting and can get along without the fuodstull's of the foreigner.