PREFERENTIAL TRADE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8437, 8 May 1907, Page 5

PREFERENTIAL TRADE.

A FIERY SPEECH. Received May 7, 11.10 p.m. MELBOURNE, May 7. Mr Prendegast, Leader of the Labour Party, in a speech, said that the people wore the creatures of those who were pleading for preferential trade-the same people who led them into the Boer War. Of all the resolutions .submitted in fa~Vour oi' preferential trade, not one was designed .for the benefit of the people. They weio all for the traders. The sort of prei'ejvntiid trade the English capitalist:; wanted -.vas the kind they sent their soldiers out to get for them. , Thpy had their hands on nearly eveiyiiiing in Australia and every time they got a show they cut .down wages and increased the hours of labour, so as to create bigger dividend.". If the people put up with th;U. sort of foreign government they would be doing an injustice to themselves.

TWO CONSERVATIVE' CONVERTS. .

Received May 7, 8.34 a.m. LONDON, May 6.. Messrs W. Hayes Fisher and R. A. Yerburgh, who were amongst the :*followers of Sir Michael Hicks-Beach (now Vibcount St. Aldwyn) who, urged in 1903 the need of cautious enquiry, and who resolutely objected to the protective taxation of 'imports or food, now write to The Times that the case for preference which has ,been submitted to the Imperial Conference has so strongly impressed ' them that they are prepared to recognise that a 1 moderate .corn duty will I ijot infringe ths sacretl principles of Freetrade, and may, be an instru- ' ment of the greatest Imperial utility.

|V-r. A THIRD ADHERENT. tO. * Received May 7, 9.24 a.m. ""'■;;, J ;™' ', V.iONJDON, May 6. '■ a Unionist .freetrader, joins i Messrs Yerburgh and Fisher on the question of {preference. y ■ .' : ' - ■' THE TIMES SUGGESTS COUNTER j PROPOSALS. •.>«/„.■■; Received May 7, 8.34 a.m. f ; ! ;' ; LONDON. May 6. >v The Times, ,n a special article on the" preference debate at the Imperial 'Conference, says that Mr Asqukh's tone was frankly that of a local particularism who is prepared to consider practical proposals for the imr ! provement of the channels of interImperial trade, but apparently he does not realise that it is the duty of the country whfch is rejecting proposals on which all the others i are agreed to formulate counter j jjr r Qposals. ■ ' 'j •V- - v '• '_ ''. j ; ';'"' A. : MELBOURNE VIEW. . ] Received May 7, 10.17 a.m. ', " MELBOURNE, May 7. ' At a meeting of the Chamber of Manufacturers, Mr Joshua, president, declared that if, as their oppon?nts said, preferential trade and protection could not exist together, then thoy were not preferential traders. If preference was -dead,'-he did not think manypeople in Australia would pa3s sleepless pights in v consequence. It was quite t-i)e that they would howl if the proposal was made to reduce duties, because the present duties were in many ,respecta a mockery. Protectionists had reason to be proud of the manner in which Mr Deakin was representing, them, but it might be ( that he was a shade too enthusiastic, arid' he had slightly overstated the question if he, led- British people to believe that the' Australians were ■hungering and thirsting for preference.