New-York tribune., 1903-07-10

benefits OF increased production through extern
sion Of colonial and foreign trade. and control
OF the home market. He contended that the
standard OF wages was regulated by the mass of
production. and when this was increased there
would be more labor employed more competition
In trade and higher wages in town and country
Taxes on food and manufactured goods would
help workers generally and, while there would
be remissions in other forms of taxation a policy
based on principles OF national and imperial
defence would compel the United States. Ger
many, France and other countries to readtust
their tariff systems. 1t was when he was on this
ground that the applause OF the audience was
heartiest. as when he asked whether, as free
traders. they were to go with eyes shut and
hands folded. thinking that all was well or
whether they should put up tariff barriers In or
der 10 force foreigners to pull down their own
tariffs He would not admit that any battle OF
the tariffs was probable The United States and
Germany. he declared, had carried their tariff
policies as high and far as they could go and
would be disposed to welcome a reverson Of the
British free trade system and to consider reci-
procity a good thing Americans, he said, would
be Influenced by the fact that their own weapons
were used against them, and would promptly
lay their own upon the table and be ready to
act one business man deals with another.
The United States had become world power,
. colonial power; and It could not live without
England and the fral result of a revised Brit
ish policy based upon principles Of imperial
defence would be the Encouragement of the
fiscal policies OF Europe and America and the
prosperity Of all English speaking nationalities.
Without attempting to reproduce in detail the
argument of one Of Mr.. Chamberlain's most en-
thusiastic supporters. have been striving to
illustrate the spirit Of this appeal to a home
constituency by member in sympathy with the
proposed abandonment of free trade principles.
The was well presented. without too many
statistics, and with air of candor and per-
sonal conviction. The vote of confidence was
not challenged by any speaker who followed Sir
Gilbert Parker. Colonel Sankey and other local
leaders strongly supported him. but laid stress
chiefly upon the displacement of home manu-
factures by surplus produce exported from for
eign countries to England, to the detriment OF
British interests and the welfare Of working
people. One Of them referred IN detail to the
lost cement trade, which had been exposed to
merciless foreign competition; another described
the critical condition of the iron industry and
the losses Of the textile trades in Yorkshire,
with their exports TO Germany and Austria
menaced and their business in America disap-
pearing; and another asked: Where is the
benefit of the cheap loaf, If workingmen are un-
employed and haven't money TO pay for it?"
The member for Gravesend evidently had his
supporters behind him, although he had not
evaded the taxation of food nor shrunk from
making a protectionist speech. The feeh
among them seemed to be that Englishnen
der free trade had given away their markets
and their liberty of making good bargain; that
thav had no means Of effective defence against
foreign competition, and that it was impractical
ble for them TO obtain a readjustment Of de-
structive conditions OF trade without arming
themselves with tariff of their own and secur-
ing leverage for successful negotiation and
equitable reciprocity. l. N r