The daily morning journal and courier., 1903-09-16

.f Ef ss N Left Great Britain Bearing All shs Burdens and Enjoying Only Half tho Advantages which should Attach to Inc Empire.
 London, Sept 15-Prenier Balfour tonight issued the advance papers of
 pamphlet on the subject of .Insular
 Free Trade" in which he presents at length arguments in favor of a change in Great Britain's fiscal policy. In in- troducing the pamphlet MT. Balfour says his purpose in issuing 1t is that it would be impossible to put all the irn-
 portant points of this question within
 the limits of a single speech and there- fore, he says, the pamphlet may be a fitting preliminary to the speech which he will shortly make. This undoubtedly refers to the speech MT. Balfour will make at Sheffield October 1.
 MT. Balfour says he approaches the subject from the standpoint of free trader as far as contemporary circum- stances will permit. He continues:
 q am free trader but not of the pat- tern which holds that the doctrine ot | free trade is so universal in it's appli- cation and so capable of an exact ex- pression that every conclusion to which, lit logically leads must be accepted with- out hesitation and without reserve" The premier points out that as re- suit of Englands policy of retaining a fiscal policy made for free trade country in world of free traders, not for free trade country in a world of protectionists. the rate of her export trade has not increased and in fact has seriously diminished. Compared with past years some departments show no increase while others show symptoms of decay. The premier asserts that there is no reason to expect an inns provement. Meanwhile Germanys America, France, Russia and even
 Great Britain's self governing colonies continue to build up protected inter- est within their borders
 MT. Balfour says the mistakes made by the free traders half century ago have left Great Britain bearing all teh burdens and enjoying only half the ad- vantages which should attach to the | empire. He devotes considerable space 1 to the effect of protectionupon cornbi- nations in countries in which protec- | ton exists. This, the premier points out, is to the disadvantage of the Brit- ish manufacturer who is unable to cor1- pete with the manufacturer who is able l to sell abroad at lower price than he charges for the same article at home. He gives an instance of German steel | in this particular, saying that it is sell Ting cheaper in England than the Eng l fish manufactures can possibly produce 1 it
 Mr. BaIfour declares that the nptirn- ists who advocate continuance of ithe free trade policy if1 place Of the isi- jury worked by protection on Great Brltain's interests are foolish and theiri
 arguments little short of reckless. The only possible hope of a mitigation of the evil is through negotiation which, he says, can only appeal to self inter
 est in foreign protected countries and in the case of the colonies, to self in- terest coupled with sentiment.
 Mir Balfour concludes: Were de- clared to be wrong, my opinion on the
 fundamental question would remain unchanged. Where we fail. others mayl succeed, It cannot be right for coun- ltry with trade ideals to enter into com- petition with protectionist rivals, self- deprived of the only instrment where- ] by their policy can conceivably be mod- flied. The most essential object of our national efforts should be to get rid of the bonds in which we have gratuitous- fly entangled ourselves The precise
 manner in which we should use our re- gained liberty is important. yet after 1 all, only a secondary issue,'