The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-12-08
UNIONISTS WILL FAVOR
PLAN AS SUGGESTED
Leading Cotton Manufacturer Opposes
the Movement as 1t viii Take
Away Profits of Lancashire
In Cotton Business.

London. December THE Birmingham
Daily Post will tomorrow publish an
article from inspired sources outlining the
tariff reform proposals which are likely
TO be advanced by the unionist govern
ment II the unionists are successful at
the elections, prefacing it with the re-
mark that the country's financial neces-
sites are much greater than they were
In 1905 when Joseph Chamberlain start
ed the movement. The article proceeds:
1t Is proposed to establish a general
tariff, placing duties on practically all
goods that are not deemed raw materials.
with the object first, of raising revenues:
second, of assisting the home producers:
against competition; third, of giving pref
erence to colonies; fourth, of securing bet
ter terms from foreign countries. and
hnaiiy of mitigating unemployment by
encouraging the home producer.
The plan favored is to allow raw ma
terais to enter duty free and to inposo
a per cent duty on partly manufactured
soods, 10 per cent on articles nearly
completed and 10 per cent on completelv
manufactured goods. There will he no
variations in this scale. unless In ,,er,,
exceptional cases. There may possibly he
however, a slightly lower duty in favor Of
the colonies and slightly higher tarIfr
asalns. countries seeking undnly to PEN
alize British goods
'''.eoftign wheat ell be liable to L dtrt.v
OF shilhngs per quarter with pref
erence TO the colonies. but not the re-
moval Of the whole duty Flour will nav
higher rate IN order To encolfra9e home
grinding, while bacon and maize will also
be excluded from the free list. Import
ant raw materials. such as cotton and
wool, will enter free
"A tariff framed thus. it is estimated.
would produce a revenue of from f1s.-
100000 to $40, 600 co.,
The Right Hon. George Wyndharn. rpen1-
Der of the house of commons for Dover.
speaking in London tonight, also inti-
mated this intention of the unionlsts.
Charles Wright Macara, head of the cot
ton federation of Great Britain. TODAY re-
yealed himself as a strong advocate of
free trade
L have been struck" he said "bv tha
feebleness of the arguments of those who
would seriously endanger the cotton trade
by changing our fiscal policy In 20 years
Lancashire has doubled in population.
doubled its cotton spinning and manufac.
turing machinery and built up an export
trade three times bigger than its home
trade. This enormous growth has been
maintained by the cheapness of produce
tion. Should food and mill requisites be
taxed, our pre-eminenee would be en-
dangered. Protected America. where two
thirds of the worlds cotton crop grows.
only exports 10 per cent of her manufac-
tnred goods, against Englands IS per
cent
Hitherto other nations have discount
ed the extent of the handicap which pro-
lection imposes upon them by working
longer hours, but next year the mills or
Massachusetts and Germany will bv
statute have the working hours reduced
TO nearly the same level as England
Let the cotton industry be imperiled and
every other industry suffers The teen-
ing population of Lancashire are among
the biggest consumers of agricultural
produce"