New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-12-08
UNI0NISTS' TARIFF
Duty on Foreign Wheat-Con-
cession to Colonies.

London. Dec. THE Birmingham
Daily Post" viii publish tomorrow an
article from inspired sources outlining
she tariff reform proposals which are
likely 70 be made by the Unionist
government II the Unionists are sue
cessful az the elections. prefacing Il with
the remark that the country's financial
necessities are much greater than they
we're in 1905. when Joseph Chamberlain
stsrtec the movement The article
says:
TT is proposed 10 establish a general
tariff. placing duties on practically all
goods that are not deemed raw material.
with the obiect-nrst, OF raising rev.
snue second. OF assisting the home
producer against foreign competition:
third OF giving preference 10 colonies;
fourth. OF securing better terms from
foreign countries. and. finally. OF miti-
eating employment by encouraging the
home producer.
The tariff VIII be OF the simplest
possible form. not protective in the
sense that that IS understood IN Ger
many and the United States. There is
no intention Of having multifarious
rates. which would throw open the door
70 Parliamentary intrigue. The plan IA
vored is 70 allow a few materials duty
free and 70 impose a per cent duty on
partly manufactured goods. 10 per cent
on articles nearly completed and Is per
cent on completely manufactured goods.
There VIII he no variations IN this scale.
unless in very exceptional cases. There
NAV possibly be-. however a slightly
lover duty in favor Of the colonies and
p slightly higher tariff against countries
seeking unduly 10 penalize British goods
Foreign wheat VIII be liable 10 a duty
- two shillings a quarter. with prefer
ence 70 the colonies. but not the re-
rnovsl OF the whole duty Flour will
pay 8 higher rate IN order 70 encourage
home grinding. while bacon and maize
vii also he excluded from the free list
Important raw materials. such as cotton
and wool viii enter free.
A tariff framed thus. II is estimated.
would produce a revenue OF from E16.-
100000 70 f20.Oo0O0O II the Unionists
are returned every possible effort will be
made 20 embody the new duties in the
budget OF 1910. or at the latest 1911. but
he maximum duties viii be withheld
-or TWO years. IN order 10 give time 70
negotiate commercial agreements with
foreign countries"
George wyndham. member Of the
House OF Commons for Dover. speaking
=
Intention OF the Unionists 10 propose a
20 per cent duty on manufactured arti-
cles and ? shillings on wheat
Charles Wright NIAGARA. head OF the
cotton federation OF Great Britain. in an
interview to-day on the political crisis
revealed himself as a strong advocate OF
eree trade.
7 have been struck" he said. by the
feebleness OF the arguments OF those who
would seriously endanger the cotton
trade by changing our fiscal policy. In
fifty years Lancashire has doubled n
reputation. doubled its cotton spinning
and manufacturing machinery and built
I'D an export trade three times bigger
than its home trade. This enormous
growth has been maintained by the
chespness of production. Tax food and
mill requisites, and our pre-eminence
would be endangered. Protected Amer
ics. where two-thirds Of the worlds cot
Ton crop grows, exports only 10 per cent
~ her manufactured goods against
ErEland's 20 per cent.
Hitherto other nations have dis
COUNTED 10 some extent the handicap
" hich protection imposes upon them by
working longer hours. but next year the
mills of Massachusetts, and Germany VIII
hy statute have the working hours re-
cuced 10 nearly the same level as Eng
lano. Let the cotton industry be i'm
perilled. and every other industry suffers
The teeming population Of Lancashire
s. among the biggest consumers Of agri-
cultural produce