Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-08-05

London Correspondence NeIC York Herald.
have received advance sheets of the
programme of the National Fair Trade
League, which will shortly commence
an active campaign against free trade in
England. The League describes itself
as formed "to promote trade with the
colonies and dependencies on principle
of reasonably free interchange and to
agitate for such fiscal readjustments as
shall prevent the products of foreign
States, which refuse to deal with Great
Britain on basis of fair trade, from
undulY competing with the products
of home labor" The first private con-
ference of the League was held at
Westminster Palace Hotel, in May last,
and was attended by influential repre-
sentatives from various districts of Great
Britain and the colonies, including mer-
chants, bankers, shipowners, members
of Parliament and manufacturers of iron,
steel, cotton, silk, worsteGs and woolens,
of all shades of political opinion. After
numerous meetings the Executive Com
mittee have now formulated the policy
which is to be carried out. Its main
features are the following:
First. That there be no renewal of
commercial treaties unless they are ter
minable at a years notice, so that no en-
tanglements of this kind may stand in
the way of adopting such fiscal policy
as the interests of the Empire and the
action of foreign nations may render
needful.
Second That the imports of raw ma
terials for home industries shall be free
from every quarter in order that Great
Britain may compete successfully in the
sale of her manufactures.
Third. That adequate import duties
be levied on the manufactures of foreign
States refusing to receive British manu-
factures in fair exchange, and that the
same be removed in case any nation
agrees to take British manufactures free
of duty.
Fourth. That a very moderate duty
be levied on all articles of food from
foreign countries, the same being ad-
mitted free from the colonies and de.
tendencies which are prepared to take
British manufactures in reasonably free
interchange.
The fourth paragraph is supplemented
by number of sub paragraphs, further
explaining the objects to be attained by
the league and principally aimed against
America, as may be judged from the
following extracts:
First. '"To develop the resources of
the British Empire and to determine the
flow of'British capital, skill and indus
try henceforth into our own dominions
instead of into foreign protective States,
where it becomes a force commercially
hostile to us.
Second. "Thus to transfer the great
food growing Industries which we en-
ploy from protective foreign nations
who refuse to give us their custom in
return, to our own colonies and de-
Tendencies where our goods will be
taken, if not duty free, yet subject only
to revenue duties, which are almost una
voidable in newly settled countries, and
probably not equal to one-third of the
productive duties LEVIED by the United
States, Spain and Russia.
Third. '"This meantime would do
equal justice to the classes interested in
agriculture, who are entitled to the same
treatment as those who are connected
with manufactures and who are now
subjected to the unfair competition OF
produce raised upon virgin and untaxed
lands by wasteful system of agricul
ture which restores nothing to the soil
and is thus equivalent to bounty.
The issue of this important document
may be regarded as the opening of the
protective campaign in England. Al
ready the movement receives encourage
ment from the leaders of the Conserva-
tive party, and there is good reason to
believe that at the next general election
an effort will be made to rally the work
ing classes to the Conservative standard
on the cry Of protection for English agri-
cultural and manufacturing industries.