New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-07-11

'hequef' MT Chamberlain was unable TO in
'roouce the principle of preferential treatment
VI the BRUSH colonies in the East and West In
dies; and recently, when the brussels Confer
ehce came to an agreement respecting the grad
ual abolition of bounties, the British Govern
ment pledged itself not to grant anv preference
10 colonial sugars for a definite period while
continental countries were adapting themselves
10 the altered conditions. Having INSTRUCTED
imperial reciprocity on the sugar question the
chancellor of the Exchequer has pursued sim
mar line OF action respecting the registration
duties on grain. He reluctantly sanctioned the
revival OF these duties and retained them as an
essential feature of the Budget after the con-
cluslon Of peace; but as soon as the colonial
pEehllers assembled in London for the imperial
conference he mnmzed the importance Of the
preferential arrangements already made by
Cahada' and threw wet blanket over the coun-
Gil or premers at the Colonial Office Prefer
ehual treatment in this way has been heavily
discounted by the head of the Treasury at the
moment when the Secretary for the Colonies
was probably hoping to set a premium upon it
Inc conference has opened with the dismissal
OF the imperial zoverein to the remote back
ground as an utterly impracticable project-a
mathematical imposslbility like the squaring of
the circle-and with Canadian preferential trade
condemned with fine irony from the Treasury
bench as an amiable evidence of colonial good
Ieehhs' but OF no material assistance to the
ihoIher country. The colonial premers can
hardly be expected to take up imperial fedora
ton on the business side with much hopefulness
IN these untoward circumstances. Sir Edmund
Barton, with the fiscal system OF the Austria
nan commonwealth in tentative and undeter-
mined state, is not in position to lend ener-
getic support to tbs preference idea and will
probably he content to follow Mr.. Chamberlain.
Sir Gordon Sprigg is essentially a trimmer and
Is preoccupied with the constitutional crisis in
Cape Colony. Sir Albert Hime favors preferen-
tial trade, but Natal is the neglected Cinderella
Of the imperial household Mr.. Seldom advocates
preferential rebate for British goods carried
in British ships-an essentially different scheme
from the Canadian plan. Sir Robert Bonds
views on this subject not known. Sir Viii
frid Laurier is the most Intellectual and the
ablest Of the colonial premiers, and in many
respects the most progressive imperialist out of
England. He is not likely to sacrifice the dig
nifty of Canada by presenting the case for pref
efential trade with the air of a mendcant de-
manding aims from the British taxpayer He
can ruthfully assert that the Dominion has been
giving TO England and many British colonies
a preference in IT tde without driving a bargain
for it or receiving any compromising advantage
not previously possessed; and he can raise the
issue that the grain registration duties can be
relaxed in favor of Canada and other colonies
and the wine duties also for the benefit of Aus
tralia, without interference with the existing
fiscal arrangements in the United Kingdom.
This will be adroit way Of suggesting pref
erence in colonial trade which will not involve
increased taxation in England. yet will serve
the purpose of introducing principle which
may subsequently be developed into systematic
reciprocity within the empire. The thin end of
the wedge will be whitfield down TO so fine an
edge that there may not be driving power for
forcing it in even a little way
The imperial conference will have little scope
for practical work if its main work is TO be re-
stricted TO reciprocity grounded upon existing
tariff arrangements and such duties as may be
imposed in future for the purpose Of widening
the area of indirect taxation. Shipping subsi-
dies offer promise of more definite action, and
Canada will be supported warmly by New-Zea-
land and South Africa and will probably have
the cooperation of Australia in proposing this
policy; but there is evidence that the
home government is prepared to meet
the colonies than one-third OF the
way in paying the costs of this method
of protecting British maritime interests Mr.
Chamberlain may have in reserve some pro-
posals OF q political nature which will deliver
the conference from the reproach of failure In
sular ideas Of patriotism and policy have been
impaired during the protracted battle for en-
pire in South Africa The time may have come
for the admission of the self governing colonies
10 a larger share of responsibility for imperial
affairs and especially for military and naval de-
fence than they have. Mr.. Chamberlain
may impart a fresh impulse to the movement for
imperial federation; but unless all signs fan he
cannot approach the question hopefully upon its
commercial side. INF