COMMERCIAL CONGRESS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 192, 17 September 1909, Page 3

COMMERCIAL CONGRESS

THE EMPIRE'S TRADE. -THE PREFERENTIAL RESOLUTION,

By Cable.—Press Ajssociation.-Copyngn Sydney, September 16. Mr McPherson, o'f Melbourne, declared that Australia wanted to give England preference in all things aue had to import. Mr Peates, of Leeds, declared that the Leeds Chamber of Commerce decidedly favored tariff reform. P"ierential trade, he said, was the cause of the decline of British manufactures and not the obsolete machinery and unskilled labor. The tariff walls had been nised so high against British goods that no machinery, however efficient, would enable the British manufactures to climb over them. They would soon have either Imperial unity or Imperial disintegration. The time had arrived ■when the, fiscal policy in England should be carefully re-constructed. BRITAIN'S POLICY.

VALUE OP THE OPEN DOOR.

Sydney, September 16. Sir Albert Spicer, M.P., president ci the London Chamber of Commerce and president f/t the Congress, announced that he would join the Chamber in a ■vote in fivor of the preferential resolution, tut as ah individual he would Tote against it. Britain had not the slightest desire for interfering with the trading conditions of the great eclfgoverning dominions. Each part of the Empire must he left to work out it-i own salvation in matters of trade Britain was extremely grateful for the preference the colonies had given bed, but if the colonies now asked for some preference in return the Old Country could not say, "Where can we give it?" , It had been admitted it could not be given on raw material, and, whether they liked it or not, it came to a preference on tood which the different parts of the Empire were producing in • large quantities. Any country which has a surplus food production could coneider the question of protection in a ■very different way to the country which bad to import food supplies, as Britain bad to do. The British Empire was not ling-fenced liked the United States.' Germany or 'Australia, but scattered in different parts of the world. He felt satisfied that what would be food for ene part of the worlcT would be poison lor another, and that a binding system would lead to difficulties and probably to ultimate disaster. What had Mvj Mother Country to offer in the way of preference! He would mention some preferences that had been already given. The Old Country had given the dominions preference in some way on the question of defence, aB was shown by the difference in the cost per head to Britain- and her dependencies. Preference had been given, too,, in connection with colonial stocks and bonds. It ha:l !been said that opinions were changioy, fcut if the next general election produced a result which would lead to a system whereby preference would be giveii : to colonial wheat, and there followed ' Jligber prices, the greatest blow would be dealt to th« unity of the Empire. He wished them to look at it in a broid light—in the light of our international relations. The Empire had been allowed to grow with comparatively little jealousy on the part of other great European nations, because Britain bad treated them all exactly on the sane

lines. There had been an open, door wherever she had gone. In Crown colonies, protectorates, and in India all foreign countries were allowed to send their goods in on exactly the same terms as were British goods. He believed that had made for the world's peace. It had been said that England lias got r oehind, but if so the colonies would be doing themselves the greatest dis-service.'by buying something from England that was not best suited for their best work. He believed that during the last fifteen or twenty years Britain bad been adapting itself tq the manufacture of articles for needs in new countries, and he believed that the English delegates in Australia—in the observations they would.make and the results they attained—would do more and more. Any attempt to bind the different parts together in that wuy might lead to disunity.

OTHER VIEWST

Sydney, September 16. The speakers this morning included Mr.'Larke. the Canadian Commissioner; Mr. Hatheway, a Canadian; Mr. Sullivan, of Tasmania; Mr. Harwood, of Blackburn; Mr. Stedges, of Kalgoorii?; Messrs Cairns and Knox, of Melbourne; Messrs Palliser and Martin, of Bristol; and Mr. G. A. Harkness, of Wellington. All. with the exception of Mr. Sullivan. epoke strongly—some eloquently—in advocating preferential trade in the interests of the Empire. Mr. Sullivan declared it was purely a Canadian demanl. In the other colonies and in the Motherland no such demand existed. Mr. Harkness said he voiced the wishes of the people of New Zealand in demanding one policy for the Empire, one flag, one throne, and one policy. The present fiscal policy i-j Great Britain, he said, had broken down and impeded her development and the development of the Empire's trade. ' .

THE RESOLUTION CARRIED. Received 16, 5.5 p.m. Sydney, September 10. ' The Congress, by 81 to 31, adopted the London Chambers' resolution in favor of preferential trade, with the addition of a recommendation for the appointment of commissioners to enquire into the question, and report to their respective Governments. WHAT THE GERMANS HAVE DONE. Received September 16, 10.30 p.m. Sydney, September 16.

Mr. Harwood said that while the Brilia'h people had been waiting for this policy of preference they had seen what Germans lad done. All honor to the Germans for the way they had pushed their trade; all disgrace to the English for allowing them the opportunity to do «o.

A'CONCRETE SCHEME. Mr. Hntheway said he would show the conference how preference should lie given. A duty amounting to 0 millions was imposed on tea and about 13 millions en tobacco. Let them sweep away the duty on tea, which did no good to anyone, excepting it brought in revenue. He would take about one shilling preference from tobacco from India, South Afri. -. and Australia, and there would lie a U.'fkit of about 8 millions altogether, wuicli meant that the working men 1 of Britain would be -saving that much .money in a year. He would then impose exactly the same amount in other directions, putting a penny per pound on t'vo different kinds of meat. That would help Canada, Australia, and South Africa. By putting two shilling* a quarter on wlieat and corn they would assist Caaadii, Australia and India. Put a penny, or even twopence, on rice and the result would be 9 or. 10 millions, and the increase in tea from Ceylon -would assist British investors in the Indian rice fields. lit would increase the trade between Australia and Britain. He would like to see preference by the colonies to the goods brought in British «hips to British ports. ' A NEW ZEALAND VIEW. Mr. Harkness considered free trade impracticable to-day. Prohibitive duties vera not proposed, but the imposition of HgV duties on certain goods. Let comnurn.l instincts overburden all rthc:--- and they would lead them in "l.i' i..i.;i of right, integrity and power. THE VOTING.

In addition to the individual vote a chambers vote was taken, it resulted as follows:—For preference 00, against g, neutral 14. Paliuerston, Canterbury, Nelson, Dunedin, Auckland, Westport, Wellington, and" Mastertnn voted for preference; Inyercargill against. •Melbourne, Sydney, Geclong and FrecBiantle remained neutral. A (fable of congratulation and micowr to the delegates' was received from the acting Prime Minister of New Zealand.

■MILITARY TRAINING.

Received September 17, 1-25 a.m. i Sydney, September 10. | Mr.' Peate (I-eeds') moved that the youth of the Empire should universally undergo such a course of training in discipline and arms as, without undue interference with industrial employment, will lit them to take a part in the Empire's defence. Mr. Parr .Auckland) seconded the motion, and explained the New Zealand cadet system.

Mr. Hatha way considered it injudicious to pass the motion. Canada would and could not accept the motion.

NAVAL SUPREMACY. I ' SHARING THE COST. Mr. Davis (London) moved that the; I'.. .'Congress' views wit'o .satisfaction the t'jLatMetlt discussions relating to the iniaingg|g§jfifi}Ce.;oi naval supremacy, and records

the valuable assistance rendered by the colonics, and the Congress affirms the[principle that it is the duty of the selfgoverning colonies to participate in the cost of the defence of the Empire, lie explained that the motion was' framed prior to the Defence .Conference. -Mr. Air.ies (Montreal) seconded.

| Mr. Berry (Melbourne) moved an iamendment suggesting that the annual naval expenditure should he borne by the mother country and the dependencies in proportion to the export trade and shipping of each. He estimated that the Commonwealth on this l>a»is would have to contribute £1,125,1)011.

The amendment was lost and the mo tion carried.

PRESS COMMENTS.

Sydney, September 10. The Sydney Morning Herald snvi that judging from yesterday's discussion, there was no greater "unanimity as to the promise and the fulfilment of the promise regarding preferential trade than there has been since Mr. Chamberlain first invented the tariff reform platform. The Sydney Daily Telegraph declare the ease for preferential trade was stated with signal ability and admirable frankness, but the speaker's ability to enable him to disentangle the proposition from the confusion that entangles it. and his frankness ,vere unequal lo discovering what the scheme reaPy means between two contradictory idea's. J

JNTEXSEINTEREST AT HOME

, London, September 15. ■The Pall Hall Gazette savs that all Imperialists are following with intense interest the proceedings at Sydney, riie Congress perhaps is performing it's most useful function i n determining to have its say upon national defence, and the interim peri! to trade.