The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-09-22
10 England Drifting Toward a Protec-
ZIONIST Policy?

The prospect of war in South Africa ia
not the only topic that has been earnestly
discussed in English newspapers. The
organs OF the Liberal Unionists have We
hemently opposed, while Conservative jour-
malls representing the landed interests have
supported, a proposal to revert to a pro-
tectionist policy put forward in speech
delivered by Mr.. HENRY CHAPLIN, who as
he is President Of the Local Government
Board, and a Cabinet Minister, must be
presumed to express theviews Of several,
II not Of the majority Of his colleagues.
The departure from the principle OF free
trade is advocated in very adroit way,
the speaker asserting that the proposed
duty on grain. while too small to raise the
price OF bread, would, nevertheless, yield
$40, 900, 900 annually, enough to defray
the cost Of the old-age pension scheme
which the party in power is pledged to
carry out.
What Mr.. CHAPLIN favors is a revival
of the registration duty OF one shilling per
quarter on wheat which was levied for
twenty years after the repeal OF the Corn
laws. and was abolished by Mr.
LOVE- from the purely sentimental wish to
is a fact that. after the removal Of this
duty, the price Of bread did not change to
the extent Of farthing, and the infer
ence seems warranted that it would not,
were the tax reimposed. The duty, it
seems. was paid practically by the bakers.
This circumstance gives rise to the
first OF the arguments arrayed against
the proposal by the Liberal Unionists,
OF whom the Spectator has shown itself
in this matter the most strenuous repre-
sentative Even were it true. they say,
that $4,000. 900 would suffice to defray
the cost of an old age pension scheme,
what moral right has Parliament put the
whole burden on the shoulders Of single
class Of her Majesty's subjects1 As mat.
ter OF fact. it is not true they go on to
allege. that the pension scheme framed
by the committee. Of which Mr. CHAP
LIN ia a member. could be carried out
for $1o.oooooo; the cost OF it is more
likely to reach seO.oooooo, or ever
$1Oo.ooo,ooo year. Once establish
then. the principle that the money needed
is to be raised by duty on imported grain
and 1t would be found that. not one shilling
per quarter, but five shillngs. or even ter
shillings, would have to be levied. Nobod,
would pretend that the price Of bread woulc
not rise, II that Of wheat were increased
ten shillings quarter.
Nor are these the only objections mad,
by the Observation-Disclosures to the suggested
revival OF protection. The duty, they say
would have TO be imposed on colonial as vel
as on foreign grain; otherwise the colonies
0Itld 20 kt,R.
the United Kingdom, the importation O
foreign grain would cease, and the money
required for the old-age pension schem,
would have to be procured in some othel
way. On the other hand, to tax 40 impor
tant colonial product as grain already ia
would seriously strain. and might snap
the loyalty Of Canada and Australia.
The champions Of English agriculture
interests try to escape from this dilemma
by suggesting that, while ten shillngs
be placed on grain imported from foreign
countries, only five shillings need be Levied
on that coming from the colonies. TIL,
Libcral-Unionists rejoin that the ultimat,
effect OF such preferential duty would b,
to give the colonial producers a monopol,
OF the English market for imported grain
eLlue, niltl lHdJ bJdlb OF LnlnRS was
reached, the colonists would loudly protest
against the discrimination between theil
product and that of the English farmer
especially as the proceeds of the dis
elimination would be used to pay od-agt
pensions by which colonlsts would no
profit.
or course, duty Of ten shillings, or ever
five shillings, per quarter on wheat woul,
delight everybody in the United Kingdom
connected with the agricultural interest
1t is also obvious that tho admission o
wheat from the colonies on terms easle,
than those imposed on wheat cominl
from Russia or the United States would b,
highly popular in Canada and Australia
until those colonies had completed,
ousted their foreign rivals and haC
come into competition with the Brit
ish and Irish farmers alone. It is n,
less clear that the rise in the price O
bread which would follow the imposition q