TARIFF REFORM.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 348, 26 March 1910, Page 6

TARIFF REFORM.

To the Editor. Sir, —The mail to-day brought some London newspapers from which I copy some tabulated matter on this important topic, and enclose; only lest you object to that in your correspondence column I have put it as shortly as I can below. The argument for Tariff Reform is that Britain is going behind commercially and industrially and therefore this is offered as a remedy. But Britain is not in need of it. To-day as an exporter of manufactured goods she stands supreme. Her exports of manufactured goods are far greater in total quantity, far greater per head of population, and form a much higher proportion of her total exports than do any of Her Protectionist rivals. The satistics referred to are taken, so far as actual values are concerned, from Blue Book for years 1905-8, and show that Britain's total exports are, in million pounds sterling, 368.5 of which 80 per cent., that is, 294.7 is of manufactured goods' and shows at £6 Us 4d per head of population, while France, Germany and the United States are respectively £3 Is lOd, £3 9s and £1 14s 2d per head* ox" population. Then as to the propertions of exports that are manufactr...'.i 'joods, while Britain is as above 80 per :;eui.. Frniiep is 58.4, Germany 68.5, while the United .Spates is only 40.4. So plain!.• th • M' iherland leads in exports of all sorts and more particularly in the export of manufactured goods-. Then imports show equally to Britain's advantage. She imports in all , 519.3 (still millions), of which 124,8 js manufactured goods "('and of this 43 millions is used for further manufactures), that is 23.9 per cent, of the total; France, in the same order is 222.7 total, 41.6 manufactured or 18.7 per cent.; Germany, total 387.9, 77.8 manufactured or 20.1 per cent.; while U.S.A. imports 253.5, of which 109 is manufactured or 43 per cent. Plainly, the most highly protected country, America, imports by far the highest proportion of manufactured goods. This is quite satisfactory, though I should like to go further did your space permit. iOne thing is c mum on Sense; that the man or nation that sells most can and will, buv most. It is evident, too, that America's hi<rh tariff does not keep out manufactures; and, further, this is the way it is steadily working—T am. etc., FREE-TRADER.