Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-10-01
CHAMBERLAIN S
PROPOSED POLICY.
The Ex. Secretary Of The Colonies
Says it is Not Well With
British Trade.
FREE IMPORTS ARE A FAILURE
English Supremacy in "Our Standard
Industries Has Been Wrested
From U.s."

font0n, oct INF NHdihperIaih
contributes to the Daily Telegraph this
morning a letter which is intended to
serye as a preface to the republication
An hook form Of a series of articles
,yhlch has appeared in the Daily Tele-
,,ranb an the fiscal problem. The let
,er however, is practically complete
exposition Of his proposed policy.
Mr.. Chamberlain says
1t is not well with British trade. Az
long period Of success the policy
70 ,prastricted free imports has now
shown evident signs OF failure. Our
axrorts are stationary in amount and
derllning in character. We receive
Srom our competitors a larger proper
,ion Of manufactured goods and we
ssnd Them larger proportion OF raw
materials than we used to. Our SUI
n,emacy in what have always been
Considered our standard industries has
heen wrested from us or Is seriously
renaced one by one our markets,
once profitable and expanding. are
closed TO us by hostile tariifs. we nave
lost all power of bargaining success
nIly for the removal or rejection OF
these barriers TO our trade. our col
onies alone continue to increase their
nurchases. and even here we must
abandon all hope Of expansion and We
are threatened with the loss OF our ex-
istlng trade II we are unable TO meet
their requests for reciprocal preference.
oOur competition, which IL already so
acute, Is not fair competition. 1t Is
gpported by bounties, fostered by the
operatons Of trusts, and strengthened
nv the economical advantages which
our opponents enjoy In the shape or
eheaper labor and in the absence OF all
those regulations which we have as
sented to IN the interest Of the working
classes and in order TO raise their
standard of living. The case for in
Oulry is overwhelming and these arti-
cles suggest that the case of reform
win be- overwhelming also. The sup
porters OF our antiquated policy resort
naturally to well worn devices which
have always been OF the service OF
every opponent OF reform, IL liz not
easy TO characterize such pexversons OF
the truth In parliamentary language
They are founded on garbled and In
complete extracts from speeches, Sc
lected without regard to their tenor
and they attribute motives and inten-
tons which exist only in the magma
ton OF the free food controyersalist'
THE line of argument, concisely stat
Cd, seems to be as follows:
Firstly II Is intended to give prefer
ence to the colonies, whose chief ex-
ports are articles of food Ii Will,
therefore, be necessary to put a duty
upon food This statement implies
that food Is free now, and deliberately
Las 81 %
our revenue is raised by taxes ON food
and drink the bulk Of which Is consum-
ed 10y the working classes.
Secondly, the whole amount OF the
new duty will be paid by the consum-
en- This is contrary to the doctrine OF
the most eminent of modern econom-
lists, who say that where an article Is
imported from n foreign country. and
is also produced at home and In the
colonies a tax upon the foreign article
alone viii not raise the price proper
tlonally with the duty, but that the
cost TO the consumer will be mainly
regulated by the supply and demand.
This Is especially the fact when the
duty Is small There is much expert
ence TO confirm the theory of the econ
omist Neither in France, Germany nor
IN any other protected country have the
prices risen by the amount of the pro-
lecuye duty, while in this country the
small tax Of one shilling on corn did
not raise the price at all II should be
noted That the danger in future Is not
rise in prices owing to taxation, but
failure In the supply due to natural
causes such as drouth, or TO artificial
combination such as the Letter corner.
ThiS danger Is greatest when the
rln of trtaK. l. n a
themselves, to monopoly while the poll
ICY that develops new markets and In
Ceases the food producing areas Of the
world WIN tend 10 cheapness and above
an TO stability Of price.
ihrdly II Is said that the duty to be
imposed VIII be heavy one, at least
nPe and possibly 10 shlllngs quar-
YER There is absolutely no foundation
lor nus assertion in any Of the state
Menls made by the advocates Of the
tariff reform.
folfthly, II is said that the duty
must De high one In order to meet the
cost oi the old age pensions. This ig-
nofeS the fact that the question OF old
age pensions is entirely independent or
nscaI reform, The amount gained by
lhe ckrhequer from any new duty
might { the working class. who form
,n' majority OF the electors, desire II,
pc applied 10 making better provision
lor Ola age, but not as a necessary con-
sequence and IL cannot be done with
CUT their authority and good will. II.
seems probable, they prefer the bird
IN NE hand to the bird in the bush; and
u lhey prefer immediate advantage
70 me more distant prospect of pen
moh. their decision will be final and In
WIS case there VIII be no increase at
an I'D me duties on food but only A
,laN,I'r Of an existing tax from one
ulucIn OF food to another, from tea and
SuhaI. ior Instance, TO corn, 80 that the
,oSl "t living 20 the consumer will not
D' increased in the slightest degree.
10 sum up, any duty on food inn
Ius'I 70 secure preferential trade with
"H colonies win be a small one. II
'I.E probably be wholly paid and will
,.I".,in'y be partly paid by the foreign
ne additional cost, II any. to the
"oIhoE classes will be fully met by
~" I9lIalent reduction In other artI.
o '' food equally necessary to their
'Nf'''ee' The dear food cry Is am