Milford chronicle., 1903-10-09
MR. CHAMBERLAIN
+. OPENS CAMPAIGN
Former Member Of British Cabinet
States His Views Oh Protection.
MAKES A MAsTERLY ADDRESS
=. -s,lassa.ss. 49, 49,. .>,,-o -

raised or the probable issue Oh MS !
campaign. it is generally admitted that |
lie has opened it in a mastery man |
ner. beftting the momentous occasion. !
and that he can no longer be accused |
of nebulosity in presenting his case.
For nearly two hours, only referring
occasionally to fairly full notes 10:
figures and statistics, he held a vast
and enthusiastic audience absorbed oy
one OF his finest oratorical efforts.
The points of his speech attracting
remarkable attention were IN eulosy
of MI Balfour and his reputation Oh
the idea of superseding him; his rep
resentation of the coming struggle as
one greater in its consequences thah
the Boer war: his declaration that all
N-orkingmen in the colonies were pro
tectionists. and that any labor leader
visiting the colonies would inevltaoiy
be converted to protection; his de-
scription of the American tarih as an
abomination. and his curious presen-
tation of the case as affecting the
workmen's exchequer. Thus, according
10 him. the increased cost of the new
duties to the laborer would be "a
cents to the artisan cents, while
the saving by the proposed reductions
10 the lahorer would be cents and
10 the artisan 91a cents.
Adducing statistics, Mr.. ChamDer-
lain contrasted the moderate increase
of ~ per cent. in the export trade
of Great Britain and the increase OF
1872, with the enormous increase OF
trade in the United States and Ger
many. and he asked how the country
could expect to support its growing
population with its trade practically
stagnant for 80 years. He proceeded;
"On the other hand. the protected
countries which you have been told
and | myself one time believed were
going RAPIDLY to wreck and ruin, had
progressed infinitely better in proper
fion than ourselves, and instead OF
our remaining the workshop for the
world. we are sending less and less
of our manufactures abroad, while the
protected countries are sending more
and more of their manufactures here.
Thus our manufactured exports from
e116.OOO. 900 in 1872 have gradually
dwindled to e7S.5O0,000 in 1902 to the
protected countries of Europe and the
United States.
1.-THE countries to which l have re-
ferred are in different stages OF the
protective process. In the United
States the process is completed. She
produces everything and excludes eV-
erything. There is no trade to be done
with her for a paltry six shillings per
head"
Mr.. Chamberlain continued by say
ing England can intervene now and
save A vast amount of commerce by
reciprocity relations with the colonies
which 20 years hence would be lost
forever. After outlining a reciprocity
proposition, he said:
Suppose we had made such an offer
to the United States 10 or 20 years ago,
do you suppose that we should not
have been able to retain great deal
OF what we have now lost and cannot
recover? I will give you an illustration
America is the stTictest of the pro-
tectiye nations 1t has tariff which 10
me IS an abominatiOn, unreasonable
and unnecessary, and although Amer
ica has profited enormously, l think 1t
has been carried to excessive lengths,
and I believe that a great number Of
Intelligent Americans would gladly
negotiate with us tor its reduction. But
until very recent times even this i'm
moderate tariff left us the great tin
plate trade, amounting to millions OF
pounds per annum, and which we
might have kept if we had given some
reciprocal advantage. It would not
have been worth Americas while TO
put a duty upon an article of which 1t
had no particular use OF special apti-
tude."
He proposed to put low duty, not
exceeding 4S cents. on foreign corn,
but none on corn from the British pos
sessions. He proposed no tax on maize
He proposed a corresponding tax on
-four. and he would give special pref
erence to the miller with the object Of
re-establishing one of the ancient in
dustries and of preventing rush frOEl
the country to the town, and also OF
placing corn. offal and feeding stuffs
more cheaply within the possession OF
the farmer A small tax of about per
cent. on foreign meat and dairy prod
ace would be imposed excluding ba-
con, which was the food of so many o.
the poorest population. Lastly, he pro
posed to give substantial preference to
the colonies on wines and fruits.
AGAINST these increases. he proposed
some great remissions. He proposed 10
take of three-quarters Of the duty on
tea, half the duty on sugar, with cor
responding reductions upon cocoa and
coffee.
Reformed Chassis Wins Suit.