New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-10-19

,-c<r-orhe 20 the empire. which took ren,r.
-s,srstv and courage TO create and which -
-,-ps genius. capacity and courage To rnas,-
- When the enthusiasm OF his aus,ar,a
- heen aroused and its presucices disa--,.s
= .x,ounded with admirable luciaitv ana -
-,,sbleness what he frankly described az ~
authorized programme, and with cousumr,.,.
All he concealed until the last moment ana
.,.sn then brought il in incidentally ana w;th
light touch, what was the most revolutionary
,-oposal o. his speech Murder will OUT he
shouted derisively when he defended the taxa
-, Of imported food as a necessity since
r-eserential arrangements with the colonies
.,,is not be made without it. and the CONNER
cal prestige OF the empire could not be main
tsinei without them. The taxation OF bread and
-,est. rninirnized as II was by Establishments Of
,--nosts on tea sugar. cocoa and coffee was NOT
80 critical issue OF the speech. Il was the mo-
,osal 20 put general tax OF 10 per cent on all
,n,po-ted manufactures that was the vital prfn-
,f-le Nr. Chamberlain had become a protec-
zionist. and. while he was not ashamed to make
,As svoRsl he was not in haste to raise a hue
sne cry over T.
The processes by which Nj Chamberlain
-.sched this protectionist goal were gradual
a-d logical and he carried his auditors along
ps+h him without their knowing whittier they
v.s-s going or where TREY were IN the final
cage v.her they were cheering franticallv for
, leader who had proposed the reconstruction OF
A.. % per cent tariff wall around the United
kingdom. lie began with demonstration from
che statistics OF thirty years, that imperial
trade was absolutely essential 10 British pros
us-1y. and thai Il would decline unless stems
were taken al once 20 preserve il by preferential
agreements with the colonies. AS an optirnist
f.-rf- f- 81
star. nor In the folly Of the British people. and
- was willing 10 trust the masters Of the cleo
to-ate the working classes who. IL warned in
-f-1e. would wake Up. and not elbow the country
.- lose ITS place among nations BY entering upon
s. decisive struggle with anti-uated weapons
ard ola fashioned tactics. The colonies were
-re7s-e5 10 give the secondary industries Of
ne Mother Country a substantial advantage III
return f-- q very moderate preference. and
since this preference could not be arranged on
manufactured goods, and could not be tolerated
c- raw materials. Il must be based on food
surrl. IS Even II this policy We're 10 involve
ra-rsfces. these ought cheerfully 10 be under
taken f1- the sake Of the empire but II would
cost nothing What he suggested was A tax OF
cr5 sEl-irgs a quarter on foreign grain and a
6uty Of per cent on imported meat and dairy
produce bao0n ard maize being left on the free
list ard The E-ilers being protected by a tax on
eor~. and these burdens could be completely Of
sea rv -euissious OF duties on tea. sugar. cocoa
and coffee. he demonstrated with the assistance
n experts rr0ul the Board Of Trade that not
one fs--airg would be added 10 the artisans
or 70 the agricultural laborer's living expenses,
Ar. b. admitted that the Treasury would lose
= Sbiu00 per anrUu by these readjustments
e. food taxation This loss. he proposed. should
"a --rr~ rad ID
not exceeding 10 Der cent on the average and
yielding - 100000 year which would be avail
able for further reductions OF taxation. both on
food and incomes. With paternal pride Mr..
CHAMBERLAIN predicted that the present Chan
Ceuor q the Exchequer would not bury in q
stocking the revenues from this new source OF
taxation. and before they knew what they were
about the amused spectators were shouting
Justify for the revival Of protection in free trade
England,
NJ cham berlain's tronical exclamation. Muir
der win CUT has fresh significance when the
text O. his speech is read with elaboration this
morning. Comparatively Unlmportant were the
close calculations BY which ne sought 20 prove
that England was already dependent upon its
imperial trade. already renaCed by foreign com
petition. or that foreigners would pay the bulk
n the proposed food taxes. and that British
Torkiaguler would not suffer from them in the
slightest degree. The real issue Of the speech
was the substitution % a protective tariff as a
system OF scientific taxation IN place Of a profit
iess free trade. under which England had been
oUtstrippe5 by The United States and Germany,
and was r. danger OF losing the colonies. He
was reve--ilg 10 a policy which would not only
SUPPLY practical tie for completing imperial
1e1era-lCu and enable England 10 force the
United States and Germany u lower their dU-
ties so that worse things might not happen 10
them bu- which would also command the sup
po-r - na1-facture-s, wage earuers and in
come tx payers. ana have pre-eminence AT once
as The paramount issue o. British politics. No
cis1rlrlna-ilg reader can reflect upon this sin
gr-4rT bold and artfuIly constructed speech
without being impressed with the conviction
mat e marks TIE turning point in British econo-
mic and imperial policies The contest may be
lo1g cr short and 2 crushing Cniorist defeat
Ray ~ necessary before q reaction in favor Of
rational system Of protection and imperial
ae-elc= can set Ir with overwhelming force but
ea things have passed away in England and
ne to--e ~ American example and prestige
has prevailed Mr. Chamberlain's conversion 70
prot=crioulsUi OF al least 10 the necessity for a
AlaeT area az indirect taxation for imperial ends
ana Tor purposes Il negotiation and retaliation,
L. ecmpla-z. and while he modestly describes
H-tasee a. ar outsider and q scout, he is the
t--st Citizen n the Empire. T. Y T.
NEWPORT NOTES.