The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-06-01
The Chamberlain Scheme.

Leading liberals like Lord Rosebery,
Henry Campbell Zimmerman, Herbert
Gladstone, son of the GEand Old Man, and
Sir Edward Grey, have taken the field
against the preferential tariff scheme of
Premier Balfour and Colonial Secretary
Chamberlain, and there is a difference or
opinion upon the subject among the
unionst conservatives of the dominant
party, who left the liberal party with
Chamberlain sixteen years ago and joined
the conservatives to fight the effort of the
liberals to set up an independent parlia-
ment in Ireland and repeal the act of
union Of 1901. This division will make
trouble for the conservatives. There are
many predictions of ruin" for the Brit
ish empire and deal of loose talk on
both sides. The liberal leaders are
screaming: ITO your tents, o Israeli and
there is increasing excitement, while the
premier and Chamberlain have their ear
flaps on and pulled wide open to
hear the tumultuous discussion which is
going on in the United Kingdom and thru
4 out the civilized world over the bare in
timation that England may abandon an
economic policy she has had in operation
| for nearly sixty years.
The promoters of the scheme evidently
have no idea Of rushing it. What they
propose to do is to have the British pub
lie discuss the matter to exhaustion and,
! if it appears to them that public senti-
ment approves, and the cabinet is united
the latter will step down and out and
Il Writs for the election Of a new house Of
commons will be issued, and the conserva-
tives will go before the country on the
z tariff ISSUE Thus far the premier has
only spoken Of maintaining a tax on food
+ stuffs and deprecated a tax on raw ma
Z terial for manufacturers. AS yet nothing
has been said about laying duties upon
manufacturers. Such a duty would
naturally receive American attention for
! the reason that England is our largest
Z customer in manufactured goods. Some
English journals say they would retalilate
+ under such taxation. 1t would lead,
probably, to the negotiation of commercial
E treaties. Meantime we have not reached
that point England is not meditating
any more than taxing foodstuffs at pres
ent In this matter it may be said that it
Z looks a little wild for the British govern
!. ment to talk Of taxing foodstuffs, when
the United Kingdom has to look to outside
( countries for four-fifths of the wheat she
consumes and five-sixths of all the food
4 stuffs used. To meet the wants of A.,
300, 900 people she has a wheat acreage of
& 1,7O1, 900 acres, producing about 100000
quarters Of grain and has to import "a,
4 1872, 900 quarters a year. British states
men seem to think that the United King
dom can be supplied with food from with
f in the bounds of the empire and thus we
have the inspiring proposition of taxing
outside nations and letting colonial anG
protectorate foodstuffs in free of duty
8 It Is possible to see how this will work
s by recalling that India cannot begin tt
supply the food wants of England. She
Is in a chronic famine condition hersel
and, at best, furnishes only S,s41, 900 cwts
Australia furnishes 4,174,253 cwts, ant
3 Canada 9,526,713 cwts. Here is a tota
from the colonies Of 22,6S7,1 ITS. These arr
the British board of Trade figures for las
year. Moreover, consumption eats int
the supply so closely that there is not
sometimes, more than a two weeks sup
ply ahead. We furnish between so and 81
per cent of the cattle imported by Eng
land and so per cent of the breadstuffs
Canada is far from being the actual gran
airy of England, and, while she is begin
ming to develop rapidly her wheat lands
1t will be a long time before she can fee
the increasing number Of mouths in Eng
land. It would appear necessary to hyp
notize the English voters of the manufac
turing districts and the champions Of tn
Golden policy to vote for an increase i
the price Of food unless accompanied b
3 a, considerable and corresponding advanc
in wages. 45e
The Carnival