The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-10-07
NEW F|SAL PLAN
FOR BRITAIN
CONTINUED From First Pae.)

CONTINUED From First Pae0
sue, but after what has occurred since
the meeting at Sheffield, word or two
might be given mo to say that am still
loyal servant to the party whose union
and strength Is essential to the welfare
Of the empire and which had found
leader whom every member may be proud
to follow"
TRIBUTE TO BAUFOUR.
The speaker paid the highest tribute
to Mr.. Balfour with whose principle and
policies he fully agreed, and said he ad-
mired the courage and resource win
which the Premier had faced difficulty
unsurpassed in political history. MI.
Chamberlain continued:
II have invited discussion upon q ques-
ton peculiarly within my province, OWING
to my past life and the Office | so re-
Gently held. Taking up the position Of a
pioneer, go In front of the army. II
the army Is attacked L will return to -
am always an optimist. 1t Is possible
that the nation may be prepared to go
farther than the official programme.
nov ask the question: Is II SO prepared?'
The late colonial secretary alluded to
the recent visit he paid to Venice, when
he found the campani1e, which had stood
for centuries, and which, when he pre-
viously visited Venice. seemed as per-
nianent as the city itself, now a mass
of ruins. He continued:
II do not say that anticipate such
fate for the British empire, but DO
say that see signs OF decay, cracks and
crevices showing that the foundations
arc not broad and deep enough to sus-
tain it.
ARE PROGRESSIVE.
"The protected countries which you
%1IJ ,,,I
believed, were going rapidly to wreck and
ruin have progressed infinitely better IN
proportion than ourselves and Instead OF
as Golden believed our remaining the
workshop for the world. we are sending
less and less of our manufactures
abroad. whilst, the protected countries
are sending more and more OF their man
ufactures here. 1t is plain that our
imperial trade Is essential to our pros
perity If 1T declines or, fails TO increase
in proportion to our population and to the
loss of our foreign trade then we snail
sink into a fifth-rate nation. l have con-
fidence that they who are our masters
electoraly speaking, will have the intel
| igence to see that they must wake up.
that they must meet the new conditions
with an altogether new policy. The vast
majority of the workmen in the Colo
| MES are protectionists and am dls1n-
| clined to accept the easy explanation that
they are al! fools.
"tThe countries to which l have refer
| red are in different stages OF the protec-
| tive process In the United States the
| process Is completed. She produces
everything and excludes everything.
There is no trade to be done with her for
a paltry six shillings per head. Canada
| has been protective a long time. Inc
| principal industries are there and you
can never get rid of them. but the second
| airy Industries have not yet been created
and there Is an immense trade still open
to you to maintain and increase. Austria
Asia is less developed and takes more
! than Canada. In the Cape there are
| practically no industries. ,!e
| Eve can intervene now, but IT Is now
doubtful whether we could intervene
twenty years hence" vaE.a
AN .ABOMINATION.
] He proceeded:
"America is the strictest OF the protec-
tive nations 1t has tariff which to mo
is an abomination, it is so immoderate.
unreasonable and unnecessary. and al
| though America has profited enormously
think 1t has been carried to excessive
lengths and believe that great num-
Der of intelligent Americans would gladly
negotiate with us for its reduction. =.
Il "Were we to lose the colonial. as we
have lost our foreign trade we should
have arrived at the parting Of the ways
If the opportunity Is not seized now 1t vii
not recur.
Mr.. Chamberlain said he believed that
the CLONES 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 witt
those already in existence in the mother
country, and not only would they enable
us to retain our trade with them. but
they would give us preference on al
trade done with them by our foreign
competitors.
The colonial trade thus secured, salt
the speaker, would he sufficient to affor
employment to $4,000 workmen at thirt
shillings per week, and. CALCULATING
their families. to give subsistence t
} 3,075,OOO persons, He had spoken Will
many colonists who believed that tn
! present colonial relations could not b
permanent. They must either be draw
, closer together or they would drift apart
an opinion shared by Lord Rosebery. {
statesman whose instincts We're Away
right, though his actions often Jagged be
hind his instincts.
He believed that 1t was only by
, commercial union and reciprocal prefer
enco that they could lay the Foundations
:, of n federation of the empire to which
they all looked as brilliant possible
$ ity."
. Ills PLAN
, ! He wished to repeat explicitly that u
did not wish to tax raw materials use
in British manufactures, Therefore, J
was evident that If they wanted !
prevent separation there must be pref
S erenial tax on food, That was the grea
!, cry of his opponents and 1t was true
! hut 1t was only half the truth, becaus
y those opponents forgot to add his eA
PLANTATION that nothing he propose
would add one farthng to the cost of liV
ing of any workingman or of any famil
in the country,
y With regard to his plan he would stat
!, it briefly. lie proposed to put lo'
. duty. not exceeding two shillngs (forty
7 u nrin An, farnlnr