The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-10-07

of their manufactures here Thus our
manufactured exports from 116 million
pounds in 1872 have gradually dwin-
died to 1914 million pounds in 1902 TO
I the protected countries of Europe and
the United States.
In the same period our exports to
i non-manufacturing countries like
1 Egypt, China and South America prac-
i ticaiIy have remained unchanged. This
loss of trade to the protected countries
/ has not been noticed hitherto because
during the same. period our exports TO
! the British colonies have increased IN
ratio to counterbalance this loss and
are now more valuable than our trade
with the whole of Europe and the Unit
ed States together. Our colonial trace
in fact is the most rapidly increasing,
! important and valuable of all our trade
Meanwhile foreign exports to the
United Kingdom have risen from 90
million. pounds in 1872 TO 142 million
pounds in 1902. 1 do not comment on
that but when I am told that we ought
| to hold the same opinions as chr ance5-
tors / reply that we should ii the cir-
| cumstances remained the same.
Il have made these figures clear 1t
| IS plain that our imperial trade is es-
sential to our prosperity If it declines
or fails to increase in proportion to our
population and to the loss of our Tor
eign trade then we shall sink INTO
| fifth rate nation.
ave have reached our highest point.
|
my opponents regard that with absolute
complaisancy. I have the misfortune 10
| be an oDtimist 1 do not believe IN the
setting of the British star. but then 1
do not believe in the folly of the BRUSH
people [ trust them and trust the work
| ing classes. 1 have confidence that they
who are our masters. eIectorally speak
! ing. will have the Intelligence TO see that
! they must wake UP; that they must
meet the new conditions with an dito-
| gether new Eolicy-
-.stIave YOU ever considered why Can
ada takes much larger amount per
head of British manufactures than the
ITrired states? Australia thrice as mucn
as Canada, and South Africa more than
Australia? These are all protective
countries. I see that some Of our labor
leaders are persuading the Workmen 70
maintain the system OF free imports
undertake to say that not one OF them
could visit the colonies for SIX montts
without singing a different tune. Inc
vast majority of the workmeh IN tne
colonies are pr0tectioniSts, ana am
1isinclined to accept the easy explaha-
tion that thew are all fools. / fail to I'M
derstand why a man who Is intelligent
here becomes an idiot when he goes 10
Australasia He does, however, get fl6
of a number of old-world preJudlces ana
superstitions-
Now what is the history of protec-
ton? First. there is tariff and no IN
dustries. Then gradually primary m
dustries for which the county mas ma
ural facilities grow up behind the tarlE
wall. Then, secondary industries spring
M. first of necessaries, then Of luxurles'
until at last all the ground is covered
s.,The countries to which 1 have re-
ferred are in different stages of the pro
tective process In the United States
the process is completed. She produces
everything and excludes everything.
There is no trade to be done with her
for a paltry shillings per head
|
time The principal industries are
there and you can never get rid or
them. but the secondary industries
have not yet been created and there Is
an immense trade still open to you TO
maintain and increase. Australasia is
less developed and takes more than
Canada In the Cape there are prac-
tically no industries.
I'VE can intervene now. but 1t is
doubtful if we could intervene twenty
wears hence We could say to our great
colonies: We understand your views
and aspirations and do not care to die
tate or think ourselves superior to you:
we recognize your right to develop
your industries so as not to be depend
ent on foreign supplies. but there are
many things you do not know how to
make, for which we have great ca
pacity for production; leave them to
us: do not increase the tariff walls
against US; let US exchange with you
for your productions: do it because we
empire as a whole. and because we
have taken the first step and set you
the example; we offer you preference;
we rely upon your patriotism and your
affection that we shall not be losers
thereby.
Suppose we had made such an offer
to the United States and Germany ten
or twenty years ago, do you suppose
that we should not have been able TO
retain great deal of what we have now
and will give
you an illustration. America is the
strictest of the protective nations 1t
has tariff which. to me, is an abom1-
nation, it is so immOderate, unreaSon-
able and unnecessary, and although
America has profited enormously, 1
think it has been carried to excessive
lengths and I believe that great num-
Der of intelligent Americans would glad
ly negotiate with us for its reduction.
But until very recently even this i'm
moderate tariff left us the great tin
plate trade amounting to millions or
pounds per annum. and when We
might have kept if we had given some
reciprocal advantage. 1t would not have
been worth Americas while to put 1t
duty upon an article of which it had no
particular use or special aptitude.
IF we had made some such conces-
sions to Germany we should still nave
been exporting to that country many
articles. the market for which is now
closed to us.
Were we to lose the colonies as we
lost our foreign trade we should have
arrived at the parting of the ways. II
the opportunity is not seized now 1t will
not recur. Canada will fall to the level
of the United States. Australasia to the
level of Canada and South Africa to the
level of Australasia. and that would be
the beginning of a general decline which
would rob us of our most Important
trade
Mr.. Chamberlain said he believed that
the colonies are prepared to meet us in
return for "a very moderate preference.
They would reserve to us the trade we
their tariffs in the future in order not to
start Industries in competition with those
already in existence in the mother coun-
try 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 afford