The Iola register., 1891-10-16
The World. Trade and British rsd.ra

tion.
New York Sun.
That imperial, or, as PROT Freeman
prefers to call it, Britannia confedera-
ton, is impracticable, seems now gen.
orally to be admitted by those compe-
tent to discuss the subject. Some Of
these, however, have fallen back on
what they term "United Empire
Trade League"-a Zollyerein or GUS
toms union OF all the peoples under the
British flag, which, while enjoying free
trade with each other. should impose
discriminative duties on the products of
all other nations 1t was reserved for
Mr.. Andrew Carnegie to show in the
last number of the Nineteenth Century
that the latter scheme is every whit as
utoplan as the former. This he does by
putting the plain business question
whether Great Britain and her colonies
would make good bargains by binding
together against the outside world and
giving TO each other more favorable
tefms than to outsiders. The answer IS
simply matter of figures.
AT present .he United Kingdom ex-
ports about go millions sterling of her
products yearly. OF these, all the
British dependencies take bnt 81 mil
lions, or less than one-third OF the
wkole. What then, the United En-
pire Trade League proposes Is to dis
criminate against customers who con
sumo 16S millions sterling in favor o
those who consume less than one-hai
that amount. The same proportion
encountered in British exports, one
third being received from British de
tendencies against two-thirds furnished
by foreigners. II there were prospect
of the colonial and Indian trade grow
ing more rap dly than the trade with
foreign nations. it might be held that
the future would justify the sacrifice.
But there is no such prospect, the Tor
mer trade tending to decline while the
latter is increasing.
There is another fatal objection to a
Pam Britannia Zollverein. The advo-
Gates TO such a scheme assume that for
eign nations would remain passive in
the face of a severe discrimination
against their products. But is it likely
that the United States, which are
Great Britain's greatest customer,
would abstain from retaliation il they
saw their food staples subjected to Gus
toms duties in British ports from which
the corresponding staples of the Cana
dian dominion were exempt Is it
probable, again, that Germany, which
now takes an amount Of British pro-
ducts valued at some eighteen millions
sterling, would endure discrimination
against her exports in favor of those
from the British colonels? Again, how
would it be with the Argentine Repub-
lie, which now buys British goods to the
extent of from ten to eleven millions
sterling per anrum? Would she per
NIT her products to be taxed by British
Custom houses when she has a stand
ing invitation to reciprocity with the
| United States? There can be no doubt
that if Great Britain should discrimi-
nate against foreign products in favor
Of those colonial, the whole OF her South
American trade eventually would be
transferred to the United States, pro-
vided Mr.. Blaine's system o. reciproc-
lily should be adhered to.
! In view of these considerations it is
obvious that q Pan-BritanLic Zollverein
would mean grave loss, il not CONNER
cial ruin, to Great Britain. Mr.. Car
negie goes on to show that for the colo
nies also it would be n bad bargain. To
begin with Canada, il is pointed out
that at present she finds a market for
more of her products in the United
States than in the mother country, and
finds 1t to her advantage to pur-
chase more from the former than from
the latter Now, if, in pursuance of
the policy contemplated by the United
Empire Trade League, our commodities
were subjected in Canadian ports to
heavy duties, while competitive British
wares were admitted free, we should
undoubtedly exercise the power OF re-
aliation. Nor would this be confined
/ o the imposition OF duties upon Cana
iian products as would effectually bar
! hem out of the American market. 1t
s also in our power virtually to bottle
1 lp Canada during a large part of the
I 1ear. We could refuse to permit the
J transit through American territory of
| FOODS in bond destined for the DOmin-
! on. We could refuse to permit the
! Canadian Pacific to connect with Amer
can railways, and thus compete with
hem op equa, terms for the traffic to
Ind from the great west and the Allan
ic scaboard. We could refuse to allow
| Canadian vessels privileges in Ameri-
AN ports which are denied to Ameri-
an vessels in Canadian ports. Face to
ace with the Canadian dominion we
possess giants strength, but we do
lot use it like a giant, nor should We do
! 10 unless our neighbor Disseminated
against our products. There is indeed
10 danger of any such discrimination.
Ii is much moro likely that, ii the lib
,ral party shall triumph in the ap-
1rosching election, as it may be expec-
ed to do, the Canadian dominion will
discriminate against the products of
ihe mother coutry in favor of the Uni
ed States.
Ii We turn to Australia we again en-
counter objections of a probable insup-
srabie order to a Pan-Britannic
zollrerein. The Australian colonies
ire all prOtectionist. with the exception
,f New South Wales, where free trade
s daily losing ground. They rely up
IN customs duties to defray large part
,f their public expenditure They even
hesitate to enter into an Australian
confederation, lest they thereby lose
The customs revenue derived from
goods imported from one another. II
lnder Pan britannia Zollverein they
should also lose the income now
'ourthcoming from imports from Great
Britain, they would be bankrupt: for
The Australian people would not toler-
ste the imposition of direct taxes to
the extent that would be requisite.
In q word, Mr.. Carnegie has demon
ytrated that customs union between
Great Britain and its dependent citiesas
purely visionary as is their special
confederation.
Tariff on Cutlery
New York Press