The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-07-10
Faint Hope for Canadian Prefer
ence In the British Market.

The Canadians who think that their
breadstuffs ought to be admitted to the
market Of the United Kingdom on terms
more favorable than those imposed on like
commodities from the United States. Argen-
tina and Russia have derived but little COM
fort from the recent meeting OF the Cham
bers Of Commerce Of the Empire in London.
The meeting was willing to recommend
that q small ad valorem duty should be
levied on imports throughout the Empire.
the proceeds Of which should be devoted
to Imperial defence. Such a duty, OF course.
would give Colonial no preference over for
eign breadstu1s. The Canadian proposal
that Colonial breadstuffs should continue to
be admitted to the United Kingdom duty
free. while a duty should be imposed on
corresponding products from foreign coun-
tries was voted down.
Since then a writer in the London Graphic
has protested with vigor against the pro-
posed concession Of q preference to Colonial
food staples or raw materials In the British
market. The trade and manufactures Of
Great Britain" he says. constitute the
very likelihood Of the Kingdom. To tax
either food or raw materials would be to
handicap our manufacturers In the keen
and ever keener competition which they
have to sustain against the manufacturers
OF the European Continent and OF the United
States" He dismisses with disdain the
argument that the Colonies would in time
be able to supply the United Kingdom with
all the food and raw materials which II Is
obliged to import. That time, he evidently
thinks, would be far distant, and. mean
while, British manufacturers would have to
pay higher prices for food and for imported
materials, and would have to be subjected
to all the costly worries Of the custom house
in order to add to the profits of Colonial
producers.
The writer in the Graphic. speaking from
the viewpoint Of a free trader. contends
that the traffic with the Colonies forms but a
small part Of the of the British
Empire. Ostensibly, indeed. that traffic
represents 80 per cent. Of the whole COM
merce. but it is not to be inferred that Eng
land would derive a corresponding benefit,
il her Colonies and dependencies should
admit her products duty free. Why?
Because with most of tho dependencies, as,
for instance, with India, Ceylon, Singapore,
Hong Kong and the West African Colonies,
England already enjoys absolute or virtual
free trade. TO bring ont this point, the
exports Of the United Kingdom are ma
lyzed. The analysis shows that foreign
countries take ~ per cent. Of the total
exports, the British Fast Indies. 10 per
cent; Australasia. 81 per cent; Canada, 3
per cent. and all other British possessions.
"a per cent. Under the circumstances 1t
seems improbable that the English people
would enter upon a protective policy in
order to crafty the food-producing Colonies,
which take but n small fraction Of British
exports.
"A to the preference given to British
manufactures under the Canadian tarifr. a
preference which now amounts to 80 per
cent. the writer in the Graphic insists that
this Is Of but trifing benefit 10 Great Britain.
He AYERS that the preference is a failure
because. in spite Of It. British goods still
pay a higher average tax on entering Canada
than do American goods" That 10 because