The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1881-08-27 00:00:00

OUR TRADE WITH FRANCE.

The Economist remarks :—lt remains to be seen
whether the resolution of the French Government un-
duly to limit the discussion of their tariff proposals is
final. Possibly they may have been influenced in
their present decision by the fear that a too ready
compliance with our wishes might prejudicially affect
their interests at the avproaching elections, and they
may show a more yielding temper when the electoral
contest Is over. By the abrogation of the present
treaty, France will herself be the greatest sufferer.
No doubt the heavy duties which under the new
general tariff may in November next be levied upon
all our products will cause a curtailment of our
trade with France. But the exclusion of our products
is not likely to be anything like so complete as many
imagine. We know, for instance, that the discrimina-
ting duties which Spain imposes upon English goods,
although they have prevented the development of our
trade with that country, bye not diminished it to any-
thing like the extent that was expected, and we may
be certain that it will be the same in the case of
France. No matter how protective her tariff, English
goods will have to be imported, and as regards these
imports, the effect of the heavy duties will be to
burden, not the English producer, but the French
consumer. To whatever extent, moreover, British
goods are excluded, to that extent at least the power
of this country to receive French goods will be re-
stricted. If we cannot sell we will not buy, and just
as the French exports to this country have grown
unaer the expiring treaty more rapidly than her
imports hencc, so we may feel assured that if no
satisfactory substitute for that treaty is provided
the exports from France to us will in future
decline more than our exports to her. Besides,
whereas our trade with France amounts to no more
than a tenth of our total foreign trade, we take from
her about a fifth of her total exports. Her loss, there•
fore, from a restriction of the commerce between us
must be proportionately far heavier than ours, and at
the same time, as her exports consist so largely of
luxuries, her difficulty in finding markets for them
must necessarily be far greater than anything we are
likely to experience. That France must injure her-
self more than she can harm us is not in itself a con-
sideration calculated to diminish our regret at the
retrograde course she now seems inclined to follow.
It is, Inwever, one that should confirm us in our de.
termination to be no parties to any fiscal backsliding:,
for the probability is, that if no treaty is concluded,
France will soon learn from hard experience what are
the evils of her protectionist policy, and will then be
ready to meet us on much more friendly terms than
she now seems disposed to do.

The Daily News, speaking of the semi-official Note
issued by the French Government on the commercial
treaty with England, says :—" Whatever may be ac-
cornplished in the long run, the immediate incon-
venience of this deadlock cannot but be widely felt
among men of business. The effect upon the trade
between the two countries will be temporarily para-
lyzing. It is premature to assert that all hope of a
satisfactory settlement is now at end. But the dis-
turbance and uncertainty caused by the unfortunate
obstinacy of the French Government, or the unhappy
impracticability of the French law, are unluckily in-
dependent of any subsequent understanding. Socially
and politically we must all deplore anything which in
any way impairs the friendly feeling between two
countries so intimately connected as England and
Erance. It is on such grounds as well as for the sake
of trade that we sincerely trust the negotiations just
interrupted may be reopened at no distant date."

The Manchester Examiner says :—" It may be of
advantage to both sides to show that we are prepared
to drop the treaty and take our chance. Our French
neighbours may perchance take another view of the
situation when they find that we are ready to keep
our distance and let them do the courting. If nations
knew their interests better they would admit that they
cannot afford to dispense with one another, and that
the prosperity of each is helpful to the prosperity of all
the rest. Our free-trade policy has made England
the mart of the world's industry and commerce, and the
partial closing of one market will make but a slight
difference in the magnitude of our vast trade."

The Liverpool Daily Post says :—" The capacity ot
understand free trade arguments has certainly not
come so rapidly as might be desired in France. No
doubt the expiey of the treaty will produce some in-
convenience and loss, and probably in both countries
articles will be sold ere long at higher prices than they
would be under a liberal tariff, and therefore at waste-
ful prices. In the same manner a tariff which will be
virtually protective will to a certain extent pamper
and deprave French manufactures. The problem is
not as yet ripe for full discussion under the altered
conditions."

The Manchester Guardian says :—" The announce-
ment that the negotiations for a renewal of the Treaty
of Commerce with France have been definitely aban-
doned, though it will not be altogether a surprise.
must nevertheless be taken to show a more unbending
attitude on the part of the French Government than
we had a right to expect. The position as it stands is
serious enough. It will of course mean a considerable
advance of the duties. That such duties will have a
prohibitory influence these can be little doubt ; but
there can be no two opinions that it is better to accept
the worst in the hope of mending it hereafter than to
become consenting parties to a retrograde arrange-
ment. The immediate effect of the breakdown of
negotiations will probably be to cause a considerable
expansion between now and November of the French
mports of articles of which the duties will be then
advanced."

In reference to the French Commercial Treaty, the
South of Scotland Chamber of Commerce on Monday
passed Resolutions declaring that if the French Go-
vernment insists on specific duties on wollen goods
these must be regulated to suit all classes, and that
3d. per lb. should be the maximum rate. The proposed
classification was opposed, and declared to be un-
workable. Another Resolution expressed approval of
the action of the Government not proceeding further
with the negotiations, and demanded that no Treaty
be entered into which did not afford British goods
favourable treatment, and, furthermore, urged Go-
vernment to secure favourable Treaties with Spain,
Portugal, and other countries.

"The Treaty's dropped: 'Rejoice ye wise!
It frees our hands,' the pedant cries ;
Good pedant, take we heed
Lest from closed mill, and furnace cold,
An idle loom we soon behold
Our 'hands ' set free indeed ! "
—St. James's Gazate.

MR. HERBERT GLADSTONE ON THE
FRENCH TREATY.

At Leeds, last Saturday, Mr. Herbert Gladstone, in
addressing a large meeting of the Liberal elector,
alluded to the negotiations for a commercial treaty
with France. There were, he said, two classes of com-
mercial treaties. The first class was in its nature pro-
tective and monopolizing, and bound the con-
tracting parties not to lower their duties: More-
over, that kind of treaty was essentially exclusive ;
the advantages proposed to be gained were only
to apply to the two contracting parties. The
second class, which he approved of, consisted of
treaties which bound the two countries not ta
raise their duties, but did not forbid them to lower
their duties. It was not intended to confer exclusive
benefits, but to give benefits to all nations which
were ready to enter into treaties with the two contract-
ing parties. The value of the French Treaty of 1860
had been very great. Not only had our aggregate
imports and exports with France increased twice and
a half since 1859, but that treaty had led to a closer
friendship between the two countries, and had, more-
over, led to many other treaties of equal benefit to the
different nations of Europe. His hearers might be
perfectly convinced that Her Majesty's Government
would not make any treaty which was less advanta-
geous than the treaty that was about to expire. If
the negotiations failed and the new French tariff came
into force, they must remember that they themselves
had urged the Government not to make a treaty if
they could not get good terms. (Hear).

Mr. Herbert Gladstone was re-elected for Leeds on
Tuesday without opposition, on his appointment as a
Lord of the Treasury.