Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-06-30
CAN'T GET TOGETHER.
The Colonies Demand Protection and
Discrimination, While
BRITAIN STICKS TO FREE TRADE.
The Congress Of Chambers of Commerce Not
Blooming Success.
WHAT THE VARIOUS PROVINCES ASK

claring that fiscal union between Great
Britain and her colonies by preferential
duties being based upon protection, would
be politically dangerous and commercially
disastrous, and that the arrangement that
-.. would best conduce to an intimate COM
mercIal union would be for the self-goyern
ing colonies to adopt, as closely as circum.
stances will permit, the non-protective
policy OF Great Britain.
William McMillin, late Colonial Treas.
urer of New South Wales, representing the
Sydney Chamber of Commerce, said rigid
commercial union of the colonies is totally
out of the region of practical politics Eng.
land did not dare to give up her free trade,
which, if abandoned, her commercial EN-.
pire would be gone. 1t would matter little
whether the colonies went also.
Upper, the Canadian, Defeated.
j. William Tonks. President of the Bir-
mingham Chamber of Commerce, said GER
tain members of the Congress had become
so thoroughly attached to the fossil doc
trines of 1841 that they were perfectly i'm
pervious to argument. This statement was
greeted with cheers. Continuing, Mr..
Tonks said tariff of 8 per cent on colonial
products would not cause an industrial war
between the colonies and the mother land
Sir Charles Upper, Canadian High Com
missioner to England, offered an amend
ment to Mr.. Medley's resolution, declaring
that small differential duty should be
adopted by Great Britain and her colonies
against foreign imports. This amendment
was defeated by a vote of 20 to 81 Sir
Charles Upper challenged the vote, and
another ballot will be taken tomorrow
morning.
Among the more important resolutions to
be discussed bv the Congress are the follow
ing: The Winnepeg, Manitoba, Board of
Trade will move:
The Colonies Can Supply Breadstuffs.
That in the opinion of this Congress the
time has come or is close at hand when the
people of Great Britain can with confidence
look to the colonies aud dependencies o: the
empire for that portion OF their breadstuffs
which they find it necessary to import from
year to year. The rapid development of
grain production in Canada, India and Aus
tralia during the past ten years clearly in
dicates that these countries will soon have
annually an export surplus of grain in eX-
cess of the annual import demand of the
British Isles, and it will be altogether un-
necessary for the latter to look for supplies
to foreign countries, and especially to those
whose tariff laws are SO framed as to strike
specially at the trade interests of Great
br1taln ana tn6 bf1D1Sn colonies.
That this congress sees the best method of
securing this end is by a system in the
mother country, of tariff discrimination
against the grain and other food products
of foreign nations and in favor of the import
of such goods IRON the colonies and depen-
denotes, and discrimination by the colonies
and dependencies In connection with
tariff on other goods required to be imported
by them.
That this congress favors such move
ment, believing that its enforcement would
serve as check upon the national selfish
ness which at the present time seems to in
splre many nations in the framing of their
tariff laws. and its enforcement would prove
commercial counter-irritant which would
in a comparatively few years practically
force the great nations of the world into a
much freer system of trade Intercourse than
now exists between them
That this congress has implicit confidence
in our great empire, on which the sun never
sets, to produce every commodity necessary
for its peoples comfort and happiness as
cheaply, if not more cheaply, than they can
be produced by other nations.
Triuidad's Quarrel With Venezuela.
A delegate from Trinidad, British West
Indies, will propose, with the full approval
OF the chamber, to draw the attention of
the congress to the operation of the most
favored nation clause as affecting British
colonies, with special regard to the great
injury resulting to the trade of the British
West Indies from the non-recognition by
the Government of Venezuela of the ap-
plicability of this clause in their CONNER
cial treaty with Great Britain to the COL
onies and the consequent imposition of an
extra and prohibitive duty of 80 per cent
upon all goods and merchandise imported
into Venezuela from these colonies. Re-
garding imperial federation the delegate
will say:
Opinions one way or the other are not suf-
fciently formed or unanimous to justify my
committee in formulating any special reso-
tuition which would represent the views of
the majority of the members of the Cham
Der; but it may be noted that the operation
of the Nick .nley tariff act, so far as it relates
to the West Indies, can hardly fail to be
favorable, and the general feeling is that
every reasonable effort should be made to
retain the United States market as the best
which has yet been found for our principal
staple, sugar.
The delegate of the Canterbury (Christ
Church, New Zealand Chamber of Com
merce will move:
That this congress desires to urge upon
Her Majesty's Government the desirability
of legislation with view to declaring in
oDerativ such clauses in bills of lading as
tend toexempt shipowners from the liability
TO give proper care to the goods in their
charge.
The delegate of the Derry Cham Der of
Commerce will move:
As to the Bills of Ladirp.
That any reform of bills of lading should
be settled by conference between Cham
bers of Commerce and Chambers of Shipping,
rather than By the convention of the Parlia-
ment.
The delegate of the Montreal Chamber of
Commerce will move:
WHEREAS, The British Empire covering
one-ei2hth of the inhabitable globe with a
population OF $50, 600 900, can amply supply
the home market with the productions of
every CLINE at the lowest possible cost; and
Whereas, A national sentiment OF mutual
interest and brotherhood should promote
more extended commercial relations be-
tween the mother country and it's many COL
onies and possessions,
Resolved, That in order to extend the ex-
change and consumption of the home pie
products in every part of the British En-
pire, slight dffereutial duty should be
adopted by the Imperial and Colonial Gov
ernnents in favor of the home productions
against the imported foreign articles.
The delegate of the Regina Board of
Trade will offer the following:
Resolved, That the Board Of Trade of
Regina IN. w. T.), Canada, would heartily
favor the extension OF commerce and trade,
upon preferential basis throughout all
parts of the British Empire, and it would be
OF the highest collective and individual ad-
vantage. Further provisions of any foreign
treaty imposing limitations upon full de-
velopment of trade between Canada and
other parts of the British Empire should be
at once abrOgated.
Retaliation Against the Uuired States.
In advocating the above we wish it to be
understood, that while we desire free trade
with the British Empire. we have no desire
to Interfere, either now or at any time, with
the political liberty at present enjoyed by
the self-governing colonies, and we believ e.
II such scheme could be carried out in the