The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-10-08

and takes more than Canada. In the Cape
there are practically no industries
1--WE can intervene now but it is
doubtful whether we could intervene
twenty years hence
He proceeded:
America is the strictest of the protec-
/ tive nations. 1t has tariff which to Inc
is an abomination, it is so immoderate,
unreasonable and unnecessary, and al
though America has profited enormously
I think it has been carried to excessive
lengths and / believe that great mum
Der of intelligent Americans would glad
ly negotiate with us for its reduction.
Were we to lose the colonial as we
have lost our foreign trade, we should
arrive at the parting of the ways. 1t the
opportunity is not seized now it will not
recur.''
Mr.. Chamberlain said he believed that
the colonies ARE prepared to meet us IN
return for very moderate preference.
They would reserve to us the trade We
already enjoy and would also arrange
their tariffs in the future in order not to
start industries in competition with those
already in existence in the mother coun-
to retain our trade with them. but they
would give us preference on all trade
done with them by our foreign competi-
tors
The Colonial trade thus secured said
the speaker, would be sufficient to afford
employment to $4,000 workmen at thirty
shillings per week, and, calculating their
families to give subsistence to 3,075, 200
IJo hoA wit
lists who believed that the present colo
NAL relations could not be permanent.
They must either be drawn closer together
or they would drift apart-an opinion
shared by Lord Rosebery. a statesman
whose instincts are always right though
his actions often lag behind his instincts.
He believed that it was only by a
commercial union and reciprocal prefer
ence that they could lay the foundations
of federation of the empire to which
they all looked as brilliant possibility.
With regard to his plan he would state
it briefly. He proposed to put low duty,
not exceeding two shillings (forty-eight
cents), quarter on foreign corn, but
none on corn from the British possessions.
He proposed no tax on maize, partly be-
cause it formed the food of some of the
very poorest among the population and
partly because it was raw material as feed
ing stuff. He proposed corresponding
tax on flour and he would give special
preference to the miller with the object
of re-establ ishing one of our ancient in.
dustries and of preventing a rush from
the country to the town, and also of plae
ing corn offal and feeding stuffs more
Il 1f @1,.n Cor
mer.
A small tax of about five per cent. on
foreign meat and dairy product would be
imposed, excluding bacon which was the
food or so many of the poorest popua
ton. Lastly, he proposed to give sub
stantial preference to the colonies on
wines and fruits.
Against these increases, he proposed
some great remissions. He proposed to
take off three quarters of the duty on
tea, half the duty on sugar, with CORE
spending reductions on cocoa and coffee.
The net result of these irhpositions and
remissions would be that the town arti
sans food would, according to the most
elaborate calculation, cost him two pence
half penny Give cents), less, per week
than it did at present; while that OF the
agricultural laborer would cost him two
pence Qour cents) less, but if as he be-
lieved, a great part of the tax on food
would be paid by the foreigners there
would be a reduction in the cost of food
both for the artisan and the agricultural
laborer.
The loss to the Exehequer, he estimated
at 100000 pounds, but that and more
he proposed to find in another branch of
the policy of fiscal reform which was
sometimes called retaliation and sometimes
reciprocity. He hoped for one thing, that
the other countries would reduce their
duties so that worse things might not
come upon them, but he thought that
Great Britain would also have to raise
hers. A moderate duty of ten per cent
on manufactured goods, varying accord
ing to the amount of labor in them, would
give to the Exechquer 100000 pounds
a year, and if he were Chancellor of the
Exchequer he would make use of that
sum for the remission of taxation.
The question was: What would the
colonies say? He believed they would
treat generously any offer Great Britain
might make. Mr.. Chamberlain concluded:
st is because i sympathize with their
object and appreciate the generosity OF
their offer, it is for these things and for no
personal ambition that 1 have given up
the office I was so proud to hold, and
that now when I might 1 think fairly
claim a period of rest. have taken up
new burdens ard come before you as a
missionary of the empire to urge upon
you again. as in old times when 1 pro-
tested against disruption of the United
Kingdom once again to warn you, to i'm
plore you to do nothing that will tend to-
wards the disintegration of the empire.
not to refuse to sacrifice futile supersti
ton an dinept prejudice and thereby to
lose the result of centuries of noble eff
fort and patriotic endeavor.