The Minneapolis journal., 1902-07-04
THE IMPERIAL CONFERENCE

A London cable states that the colonial
premiers are showing deeper interest IN
the question of paying subsidies to pro-
mote steamship lines between Britain and
the colonies than in the project Of colo
nial secretary, Chamberlain, to effect the
establishment of an imperial zollverein
and federated colonies. !
The absorption of a large segment of
the British merchant marine by the Nor
gan merger has greatly alarmed British
shipping interests and active efforts are
now making to organize a British mer-
ger to prevent lines from getting under
foreign CONTROL and colonial steamship
subsidy plan Is proposed to keep the colo
MES in close communication with the
mother country and keep out German and
American enterprise in extending rival
lines of ocean communication.
In a recent debate in the commons on
Hicks Beach announced that he had de-
cided to reduce the duty on maize one
half, Mr.. Morley asked the chancellor to
state his views clearly on the zollverein
| question, as he had ben talking ambigu
ously before. Morley said it would be
disastrous "to play ducks and brakes
with our great trade with foreign coun-
| tries for the sake of relatively small
trade, with the colonies and in order to
carry out such a policy we would have to
set up again machinery which. in the past,
had thrown deadly impediments in the
| way Of commerce. Sir Michael then
emphatically denied that the government
had any intention Of abandoning free
trade and changing the fiscal principles Of
the country. The new tax was meant to
| assist in meeting the large cost of the
war and he continued: 'Tt is not cur
policy to endeavor to encourage trade
| with our colonies by initiating a tariff
| countries" The only premier who out
and out, inclines to the Chamberlain
policy is Seddon of New Zealand. His
neighbor, Barton, of the Australian fed
Grafton, rejects the imperial defense and
| zollverein idea and goes NO further than
vantage, view held by Sir Wilfred Lad
rier, the Canadian premier. Barton says
| that empire free trade would simply de-
prive those young communities of what
must be to large extent the main source
of their revenue, that the customs,
and would render it impossible to carry
on their internal governments success
fully" He regards mutual tariff con-
cessions within the empire as more prac-
tical proposition. Some Canadian states-
men are talking of giving England 40
per cent preferential tariff instead Of the
3S 1-S preferential tariff of the present
time. This, however, is opposed by the
Canadian manufa cturers.
! The colonial sentiment is favorable ap-
parently to the taxing by Great Britain
Of the grain and flour of other countries
with free admission Of colonial products,
or, at least, at preferential rates to give
them an advantage over American COM
| petition. The fact that the colonies of
Great Britain supply her with only 20
to 25 percent of the breadstuffs she re-
quires, is sufficient proof that she cannot
deliberately cut off the foreign supply.
She cannot afford, as Sir Michael Hicks
Beach. admits, to tangle herself up in a
series of tariff, wars with foreign nations.
The liberal party Is united against any
tendency toward the protective system
and the Irish members of parliament have
expressed their hostility toward the in
direct taxation thus far enacted, and, as
for the zollverein scheme of Mr.. Cham
berlain, Premier Barton, of the Austria
lian federation, reflects, no doubt, the
views Of most of the coloEies when he
says that policy of mutual tariff con-
! ceesions represents the limit to which
they ought to 60.
1t certainly does not look now as if the
conference in London will result In the
adoption Of an imperial and colonial pol
icy which will affect our interests very
materially. '''.'.'',