New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-04-25
an ENGLISH CORN LAW.
. COMPROMISE IN THE DIRECTION OF A
REVENUE TARIFF, WITH THE POS
sJRILITY OF AN IMPERIAL
CUSTOMS UNION.
London, April IA.

a
.-o,ned as fnancier in the school of Peel
-, Gladstone and Harcourt, has strenu-
III, resisted pressure for increasing national
,aitures and for providing revenues for
,aeting them by widening the area Of indirect
taxation Mr.. Chamberlain, supported by the
,,hic opinion of his immense constituency be-
,s the seas has been equally persistent in his
denomination TO take up imperial federation on
.be husness side. and to promote commercial
Intercourse within the empire preferential
basis The conflict Of these two wills has been
continuous. and has involved a series of half
,ro,, measures and compromises. Mr. Chamber
,o,n WAS premature in advocating imperial
.ollverein in his address before the Canada Club
"a other influential bodies; and the Duke of
I,evonshire threw cold water upon his impetu-
&c collea gue's comprehensive policies. Sir Mi
obael Hicks-Beach supported by his col
leagues in his opposition TO tariff with prefer
snces for the colonies; but he was compelled to
avert surplus revenues produced by Sir William
t1arcourt's revision of death and estate duties
,o national ornaments and TO doles for volun-
.arr schools and grants for various class IN
,-eets When the war came in South
Africa there was opportunity for financing
~ IN a large way and for promoting commercial
,n;nn with the colonies when they were sending
their volunteers to South Africa 10 fight the bat
,1os or he empire The Chancellor of the Ex-
,baouer persisted in financing the war mainly
nv direct taxation, as Mr. Golden or Sir William
u.rcourt would have done; but his colleagues
have been partially converted to Mr.. Chamber
lain's ideas, and have dragged Sir Michael
r1icks-Beach after them. There was a compro-
mise last year on the sugar and coal duties,
and there is another in to-nights Budget, with
the revival OF the registration duties on grain.
-four and meal
Mr. Chamberlain has been materially aided by
tbe arguments of Sir Robert Giffen and THE
Times IN favor of readjustment or the sys-
fem of taxation. They have not openly adopted
Sir Howard Vincent's protectionist propaganda
nor have they taken up imperial federation on
the commercial side: but they have been indi-
rectly helping both causes. They have LAID
stress upon the fact that the fiscal system mas
been thrown out OF balance during the last
twenty-five years. They have contended with
great force that the proportion between direct
and indirect taxation has been transformer
that income taxation and estate duties nave
heen enormously increased in time of peace and
forced 20 contribute heavily to war expenoi-
lures, and that indirect taxation. excise and
customs being taken together, has remained
unchanged The burdens, both of ornaments IN
neace and military expenditures in war, have
fallen according TO their argument, with cumu-
lstive force upon a restricted class Of taxpayers
and both equity and prudence have required d
readjustment of the fiscal system by conlpre-
hens:ve widening of the area of indirect taxa
ton Sir Robert Giffen was once Copoehlte
without reproach. and Tine Times was one VI
the ablest champions of the Manchester School-
The coalition between accomplished status
-ic;an and the most influential journal has been
a powerful one. 1t has helped to bring ABOUT
the sugar and coal schedules of last year. and
-l,ic of q
duties.
in each instance Sir Michael Hcks-Beach has
sisn,a7ed the invincible determination of an
obstinate free trader. and has reluctantly been
dragged into a half measure Last year MI
Chamberlain would have favored a higher sugar
schedule with preferential arrangements IN ana
of West Indian and other British sugar lslaros'
and Sir Robert Giffen would have doubled the
fay for revenue purposes. The Chancellor OF
the Exchequer met them half way with Tow
tar which he admits tonight has not been felt
by consumers, owing to overproduction OF Con-
tnental beet sugar, but he dropped one-haf OF
the revenue which he might have had, and he
did nothing to help the suffering British sugar
islands which were dependent for existence
upon the Determinations In the American mar
ket against bounty fed sugars This year. IN
consequence Of the revolt of his Cabinet COL
leagues against him, he has reverted TO the
registration duties on grain and flour, but ne
has not consented to impose a moderate revenue
tariff on manufactured goods, nor has he armed
Mr. Chamberlain with resources for working out
commercial union with the self-governing col
onies on the principle of mutual preference. lie
has moved an the direction of tariff for revenue
hut has not gone far enough to satisfy either
Sir Robert Ciffen or Mr.. Chamberlain He mas
salyed his Cobdenite conscience by AIDING
penny TO the income tax and by doubling 'he
check stamp and in proposing the registra-
ton duties on grain and -four he has clainor-
ouslv contendei that he is not q protecuohlSt'
but merely tax hunter, eager TO ma soi"e-
thing Of universal use which can be taxed WIN
the least possible injury and inconvenience to
public interests. Like the fine old Tory he Is nc
conricts himself of inconsistency by undue prot
estations OF loyalty TO free trade pfincipieS'
His revival of the duties In any form Is
a BETRAYAL of Cobdenism at vital point his
registration duty is the entering wedge at the
trunk of the sapless and decaying Tree traue
tree 1t Will be driven deeper another year
Sir William Harcourt in his reply to the
Chancellor of the Exchequer, spoke with dos-
matte fervor as a Cobdente of the OLD schooi'
He opposed the tax on corn, as Copoeh vi
Bright might have DONE a burden which
would fan upon the masses-the poorest Vi inc
poor. When the Chancellor of the Exchequer
contendea ,ba+ co small a tax could not affect
the price or consumption of an article oi UNI
yersal use. he was repeating fallacy OF the Ola
time protectionists 1t might be said or great
many other articles that the price would not oc
affected by putting shilling duty on theiii'
Why. then, did the Chancellor object TO leVyiiis
taxes on a great number of commodities ioi
revenue purposes? That was an incisi'e 4ues
ton which revealed the real Importance OF the
departure in fiscal system The return 10
a registration duty on grain and flour natu-
rally opens the way for a restoration Of indirect
taxation on a large scale IT is idle to discuss