The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1903-07-06
.ENGLAND'S
TARIFF WAR
Liberals Arrayed Against Policy Of
Protection.
CHAMBERLAIN sTEADFAsT.
Unmoved by Duke sf Devonshire'.
Doubts OF Expediency Of Food
Tax-Baitour on COLONIAL seere-
tary's sfde-sfany WavsFers.

london, July 4.-The lines Of battle
are being surely drawn for the big
fight which Mr.. Chamberlain has prom
ised for the autumn recess. Liberals
stand together practically without an
exception in entire opposition to Mr.,
Chamberlain's ideas and the ministrys
policy OF an open mind. 1t lie significant
that the Liberals fasten upon the bread
tax as their rallying point. "Dearloaf
ers' Is the nickname already applied
to the Chamberlainites
Possibly the dread of that nickname
has caused some Of the Unionists who
now are hesitating as to which side of
the fence they shall alight on TO sug-
gest TO Mr.. Chamberlain that he drop
the food tax and concentrate the pub
lie mind upon the principle Of retaIia-
ton against the bounty bolstered and
tariff fed products Of American and
German factories. Thus retaliation Is
the first and central idea Of the resolu-
ton adopted By ninety -eight minis
terial NJ P's who have pronounced for
Mr.. Chamberlain.
Devonshire Reluctant.
Mr.. Chamberlain's own nominal Lib
eral Unionist leader in the cabinet, the
Duke Of Devonshire, has expressly
stated that he grayely doubted the ex-
pediency OF a tax on the food on the
people. but Mr.. Chamberlain will have
no such limitations. He insists that
the dear food cry Is a mere hogy and
Is quite prepared to argue It out and
prove to the working cIasses that
higher wages and other benefits viii
more than outweigh any possible in
crease in the prices Of bread and meat.
The taxation Of these two food prod
ucts alone win, he declares, suffice to
induce the colonies to make the neces-
sary concessions in their tariffs in IA
vor Of British manufactures. He will
not hear Of the taxation Of wool, in
which, Of course, Australia primarily Is
interested. Meat, he says, viii suffice
for Australia and New Zealand and
wheat for Canada and India. What
South Africa will need is a question for
the future.
Manufacturers. whose home, colonial
and foreign markets have been spoiled
By German, American and Belgian
competition. are pouring IN upon Mr.
Chamberlain and his 100 members of
parliament facts concerning unfair for
eign methods. state bounties and the
Like for use in the autumn campaign.
and as each day adds to this ammuni-
ton Mr.. Chamberlain's appetite for the
fight seems to grow. He win even go
to the lengths on public platforms Of
saying that It Is a case OF preferential
tariffs or no empire.
BaIfour with ChaznbsrIain.
That Mr., Balfour is with him Mr.
Chamberlain himself has not the small
est doubt. Equally certain is the de-
termined opposition Of Mr.. Richie
within the. cabinet, and OF ffty.four
Unionist members Of the house of com
mons, including Sir John Gorst, ex-
minister Of education: Mr.. Hayes Fish
er another ex-minister), Lord Hugh
Cecil Lord SaIisbury's som, and Mr..
Winston Churchill, who find their lead
ers in Lord Gosehen in the lords and
Sir Michael Hieks-Beach in the house
of commons Their formal resolution,
adopted this week, also declares the
protective taxation of imported food
as impossible, even fatal to Great
Britains industrial position.
About 200 ministeriallsts are still
hesitatIng, as are such ministers as the
Duke of Deyoeshire and Lord Lans
downe, but it seems incredible that a
cabinet and party thus split into fac
lions can possibly live through an ex
cited and protracted electoral cam
paign on vital and national issues, I'M
less during the next three months they
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