Evening star., 1904-03-23
THE PROTECTION IDEA
Work of Mr.. Chamberlain's
Commission.
BIRTHS Fl INDUSTRIES
ALL BEING INVESTIGATED AS TO
TARIFF CHANGES.
Questions Sent Out to Manufacturers
and Merchants-Labor Interests
Looked After.
BRITISH INDUSTRIES
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.

Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star
LONDON, March 12, 1904.
The British public has temporarily lost
interest in the doings of Mr.. Chamberlain S
tariff commission. This change is only on
the surface. however. for the work of inves-
fgating the commercial and industrial con-
ditions of the empire is progressing steadily,
and those who are really concerned are
awaiting the outcome with no little impa-
tience.
There are now f1fty-nine members on the
commission, all of them men very well
known, and in this membership are repre-
sented about sixty different lines of indus
try. While 1T is true that on this commits
sion there are men who are not entirely
sympathetic with Mr.. Chamberlain's IDEAS
the great majority of them are, and even
those who ostensibly oppose the protection
loea are willing to compromise upon Mr.
Balfour's policy Of colonial preferentials
and retaliatory system of duties.
UP to date the work of the commission
mas been largely preparatory. 1t took some
time to complete the organization and ar
range the subcommittee for special lines
OF investigation. Information has been
sought through circular letters to manu-
1acturers, merchants and others brought
into competition with foreign imports In
some cases the replies to the questions sent
out were prompt; in others apparently little
interest was taken, and in a number of in
stances the commission has received in
u1gnant letters reSenting what is termed
the impertinence of the questions asked
Many conservative business men, firmly
grounded In their free trade beliefs have
entirely ignored the efforts of the commits
n 70 fol Il
some of the newspapers opposed to Mr.
Chamberlain. in whose columns the COM
mission is referred to as "the greatest i'm
pertinence ever offered the British business
public"
Three Sets of Questions.
So far three sets of questions have been
sent out. The first went to the iron and
steel trades. and is most comprehensive in
It's character. These inquiries left the
commission about February 1, and a fairly
complete set of answers has already been
received. though the inquiry Is not yet suf-
hciently advanced to tabulate the results
Parties replying to the questions asked by
the commission are given the option of hav-
Ing their answers treated confidentially
and many requests of this kind have been
received.
Every business firm in Great Britain con-
nected with the iron and steel trades has
been asked as to its interests in foreign
and colonial markets, the number of peo-
pie employed, the character of the manu-
factures and the extent to which foreign
competition controls the home market.
They are especially requested to state
whether any foreign imports are sold in
England at less than 1t cost to produce the
same articles here. Some effort is also
made to arrive at comparison of costs to
the people of the foreign country in which
the imports are manufactured and the price
charged the British public. This is evident
ly particularly directed at the United
States for the statement iS Oftap ma 10 in
England that an Englishman is able to buy
American manufactured goods cheaper
than they can be bought for home con-
sumption in the United States
Details to rates of wages. hours of
labor and other points of comparison be-
tween foreign and home industry are re-
quested, and especially as to whether Brit
lsh trade has suffered through tariff dis
crimina tons in other countries. The British
manufacturer is then asked as to what re-
ducton the tariff in any foreign country
would enable him to compete successfully
within that country with commodities made
in Great Britain. This point is dwelt upon
as of great importance in connection with
MIR. Balfours proposed retaliatory measures
designed to secure reductions of tariff
from countries like the United States.
The effect of foreign competition upon
British trade in the colonies is also included
in the inquiry.
The second set of questions was sent out
to English merchants. Under this head are
included the buyers and sellers of domestic
and foreign merchandise, or, in brief, the
middlemen. The questions asked the mer-
chants are along the same lines as those
asked the manufacturers, except that ques-
tionS of labor, wages, cost of raw material
etc, are necessarily omitted. With the
merchants strong point is made as to the
discrimination of foreign tariffs. and again
the commission endeavors to ascertain the
truth as to the alleged sales of foreign
manufacturers in British markets at less
prices than are charged for the same goods
;t1t tha trxy n hai a
of combinations or trusts upon prices is
treated of, and the bearing of shipping
facilities and ocean freights upon competi-
tive trade is taken into consideration.
The Labor Interests.
The labor interests are given a prominent
place in the inquiry, and to the officers of
all labor organizations has gone set of
questions dealing with the interests of the
employed in much the same manner as
with the interests of the employers. The
most serious antagonism to Mr.. Chamber
lain's policy has come from labor interests,
though considerable change of sentiment is
noticeable directly due to the educational
work of the tariff reform committee which
is carrying on the propaganda.
The tariff commission meets twice
week-Wednesdays and Thursdays At
these sessions oral hearings are given wit
nesses in executive session. The usual air
of mystery pervades the quarters of this
of any British enterprise. An American
visitor to the headquarters is rather dis
mayed with the formality presented and the
red tape which must be unrolled before he
can reach any one competent to speak with
authority. Once properly introduced, every
one is courteous and all possible facilities
are given for securing information.
1t is not intended to give this impression,
but it is the British way of doing business
and could not be departed from by even
so radical an organization Mr.. Cham
berlain's committee. The commission work
began and is still carried on with consid-
erable enthusiasm. Few of Its members,
however, realized the deep of con-
troversy into which they had plunged, or
the tremendous vista presented by the in
quiry The public men of the United States
who have fought the tariff battles of recent
years have an adequate conception of what
a tariff agitation and inquiry leads to. Eng
lish public men are beginning to realize
the width and depth of the topic and as
each industry demands attention, the
enormous task of framing a system of Gus
toms duties, which shall be fair to all, be-
gins to dawn upon the British mind.
When the work began, 1t was supposed
that within comparatively short time. it
would be possible to- frame a definite plan