New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-07-11
AN IMPERIAL CONFERENCE
THE ABANDONED ZOLLyEREIN AND THE
PREFERENTIAL SUBSTITUTE-MK.
CIIaNBERLAIN AND THE
COLONIAL PREMIERS.
COLONIAL PRENIIERS.

attempt to square Inc 4ilpc+ loi OlANiN MS
hem resumed at the Colonial Office this week.
When the colonial premiers attended the JuDllee
,n 1897 they were overwhelmed with attentions
I'D courtesies and were finally appointed Privy
oouncfIIors The inherent difficulties of the
,rohlern Of imperial federation were not over
cone by the distribution of Jubilee decorations
and the exchange Of compliments. When Mr..
chamberlain conferred with the select Colonial
Committee of the PriYy Council, he found that
rothing had been accomplished by new use
~ that historic body. The proposed union for
Imperial defence. with the expenses divided be
tween the mother country and the colonies,
brought up the awkward question of taxation
without representation How zollverein could
he established without the sacrifice of free
trade principles and increased cost of living in
working centres neither Mr.. Chamberlain nor
the premieTs could explain. The conference
ended without practical result. No method of
colonial representation in Parliament or any
imnerial council was devised; imperial fedora
ton was not taken up the business side. and
the resolutions and reports adopted were of
purely academic interest. Australian fedora
ton has been carried into effect during the in
terval Of five years, and the empire has been
united by the loyal devotion of the colonies in
the South African war; but Mr.. Chamberlain
and the premiers in resuming their delibera-
tions in the Colonial Office as far removed
from the goal of imperial federation as they
were when the Jubilee festivities ended.
The creation of an imperial zolverein is in
deed more difficult than it five years ago,
when Mr.. Chamberlain apparently was ready
70 recast the commercial system Of England ana
TO impose revenue duties on wheat. sugar wool
and manufactured goods. Australian fedora
ton, instead of opening the way for a true zoh-
yerein with free trade within the empire and a
roror7on tariff barrier foreign countries,
has retarded this contamination. The Austria
Ian colonies have been brought together by a
series of compromises in fiscal policy between
free trade and protectonist communities ana
with the customs and excise the only avail
able sources of revenue, they could not be kept
together II there were unrestricted trade with
the mother country In the United States there
Is imperial federation. and there is also free
trade within and a common tariff without; but
the possessions of the British Empire are so
widely scattered. and their economic interests
are so diverse that It would be utterly imp"ac-
ticabie for customs experts TO devise hscal or
revenue system which would be as homoge-
neous and as acceptable to, all sections as the
American tariff. Great Britain, Australia ana
Canada could not agree upon tarln Whlch
would be mutually advantageous If there were
4 tariff on foreign foodstuffs and raw materials
like wool the manufacturers and working peo-
pie OF the United hlnsuoLl NouIu NC 44OA'--'
taxed for the benefit of the producing classes or
the colonies: and neither Australia nor Canada
could protect its own manufacturers against
British competition nor obtain adequate reVe-
nue. duties with absolute free trade with Eng
land The difficulty Of framing common tarln
would be greatly increased If NeW-ZeaIano'
South Africa the Straits Settlements ana the
sugar islands of the East and West Indies were
brought into the zolIverein; and India. with It's
Of r9rOxreFishe0 DODutatiOn, lies
outside the sphere Of tariff legislation for Brit
ish colonies A united empire, with the same
measure of free trade within its borders with
which American States are favored, and an
analogous system Of tariff defence for British
markets against foreign competition, is neau-
tiful dream, full Of inspiration for enlightened
irnperialists: but tariff builder knows no" 70
reconcile the innumerable industries and inter-
ests of so vast realm.
zoilyeren being regarded by the most en-
inent colonial statesmen. Sir Wifrid Laurler
and Sir Edmund Barton among them, as utter
IL !napracticabIe, a substitute has been tenta-
lively offered for it in preferential trade This
Is & Canadian experiment, and has been IN op-
GRAFTON in a one sided way for several years
The policy was introduced in 1897, and was en-
lsrged during the following year so as 10 in
yolve a preference Of 80 1-3 per cent for imports
received in Canada from the United Kingdom.
sb India the Straits Settlements, New-South
Wales and other colonies having equally favor
able trade relations with the Dominion 1t Of
fered freer trade with the mother country with
cut requiring in return compensatng adEan-
tapes in the form Of duties levied against
countries competing with Canada Germany.
france and Belgium participated in the prefer
entail rebate until June 80, 1883, when the
treaty ENGAGEMENTS of the United Kingdom
were suspended 50 far as the Canadian market
was concerned. This policy, which cost Eng
land nothing except the trouble Of revising the
colonial clauses Of several treaties, was regard
ed four wears ago by Cobdenites as a victory
for free trade principles. and the example OF
Canada in favoring the mother country was
commended TO other colonies inspired by
loyalty and good sense. II also interested Brit
ish ir7perialists as a tentative system which
might open the way, # not for comprehensive
zollyereln. in any event for scheme OF com
nercial union within the empire. The resu!ts OF
preferential treatment for British imports IN
Canada as statisticans sum them up are less
favorable than the forecasts five years ago
British imports. which had fallen to Zo-4 per
cent in 1861. declined to 23.7 per cent in
10000 In spite Of this preferential rebate or
one-third Imports from the United states
during the same period had risen. without the
aid Of any preference, from $50 to 600 per
cent Of the entire importation. Attempts are
made by Canadian statisticians 10 break the
force OF these revelations by the explanation
that the bulk Of British imports dutiable.
and that the advance IN American trade Is
mainly In free products: but the experiment, so
far as it has been tried. does not justify the con-
clus!on that British manufacturers have gained
materially by the operat ton OF the preferential