The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1903-10-12
RED CROSS PHARMACY, 100 North Main St, Barre, Vt

might have kept II we had given sofle
reciprocal advantage. Ii would not
have been worth Americas while to
put a duty upon an article for which
it had no particular use or special apti-
tude.
II we had made some such conces-
sions to Germany we should still have
been exporting TO that country many
articles the market for which IS now
closed to US. Were we to lose the colo
NAL as we have lost our foreign trade
we should have arrived at the parting
Of the ways. Ii the opportunity is not
seized now it win not recur. Canada
win fall to the level Of the United
States Australia to the level of Can
ada and South Africa to the level OF
Australia, and that would be the be-
ginning Of general decline which
would rob US of our most important
trade"
Mr.. Chamberlain said be believed
that the colonies are prepared to meet
us in return for a very moderate pref
erence. 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 compe-
ton with 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 all trade done with
them by our foreign competitors
The colonial trade thus secured said
the speaker, would be sufficient TO at.
ford employment TO 615000 workmen
at so shillings week and, calculating
their families, TO give subsistence TO
3.075,000 persons That had been call
cd squalid argument; therefore he
appealed on the higher ground that
the privileges Of empire brought with
them great responsibilities He had
spoken with many colonists who be
lieved that the present colonial rela
tons 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 were always right,
though his actions often Jagged behind
his instincts,
He believed that it was only by a
commercial union and reciprocal pref
erence that they could lay the founda-
tons Of q federation Of the empire, to
which they all looked as brilliant pos
sibfity. He wished to repeat explicitly
that he did not wish to tax raw mate
rails used 10, British manufactures.
Therefore It was evident that IL they
wanted to prevent separation there
must be a preferential tax on food
That was the great cry Of his oppo-
nents, and it was true, but 1t was only
half the truth. because those opponents
forgot to add his explanation that moth
ing he proposed would add one farthing
to the cost Of living OF any working
man or of any family in the country.
with regard to his plan he would
state it briefly. He proposed to put a
low duty, not exceeding 2 shillings a
quarter, on foreign corn, but none on
corn from the British possessions. He
proposed no tax on maize, partly be
cause 1t formed the food OF some Of
the very poorest among the population
and partly because it was raw material
as feeding stuff. He proposed a CORE
spending tax on flour, and he would
give special preference TO the miller,
with the object Of re-establishing one
of Britain's ancient industries and Of
preventing a rush from the country 10
the town and also Of placing corn, offal
and feeding stuffs more cheaply within
( the possession Of the farmer
A small tax Of about per cent on
foreign meat and dairy produce would
be imposed. excluding bacon. which
was the food Of So many Of the poorest
population. Lastly, he proposed to
give substantial preference to the
colonies on wines and fruits.
Against these increases he proposed
some great renissions. He proposed TO
take off three-quarters of the duty on
tea, half the duty on sugar, with cor
responding reductions on cocoa and