Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-06-01

pertinent of the last two years. The
/ British government has seen as never
before the value Of protection a.
advocated by Chamberlain. and the
consequences Of swapping a home
market such as America has. for tho
markets Of Hankow, Hobbema and
Hades. As charity begins at home
SO should the exchange Of product.
giving and receiving the returns Of
mutual endeavor. And all should
share in the advantages Of cheaper
production from outside. To so share
it is necessary to assess a revenue to
60 to the support Of government and
thus a relief Of the taxes of all
England knows what the United
States has suffered in recent months
because the bars were let down in
places to favor certain interests at
the expense Of others.
Concerning the new advocacy in
England the Philadelphia Press says:
From across the sea comes the
news Of a new advocacy OF protec-
tive tariff as a necessary part OF ma
tional prosperity. It comes, too, from
Great Britain, the one great nation OK
| the world which maintains the policy
Of free trade, and this fact gives to
it great significance. 1t is in the form
Of report made by British commits
sion which has been looking into the
| condition Of things in that country.
1t is the result Of an inquiry that has
been thorough, and in which has been
asked the advice of leading financiers
and economists and representatives OF
manufacturing and mercantile inter-
ests Of the nation.
This commission finds that one OF the
facts in the present situation Is
large permanent increase in the nor
NAL national expenditure. The per-
picking question is how to obtain this
revenue. Upon one point the commits
sion is very decided. To endeavor to
obtain this sum from a mere increase
on direct taxes would be to place an
|
capital and industry. Even before the
war. the situation was that both taxa
ton and expenditure had increased
more rapidly than the national wealth
or income. The commission believes
that it will not be well to provide the
further sums required under the new
standard of expenditure by the mere
reorganization of particular taxes or
by increases in the rates at which
they are levied.
1t is, therefore, necessary to make
some change in the British fiscal sys-
TEN which will solve the problem OF
raising nm increased revenue. This
new revenue, the commission believes,
ductive power of the community. Such
n result can only be brought about by
encouraging the establishment Of new
industries and by putting the British
nation at work along lines which are
not now in existence. This means
those types of industry that are now
being carried on in other countries.
The reason why they are not being
carried on in England is that on a free
trade basis other nations can take
products which peculiar conditions at
home enable them to produce at small
cost, and there undersell all COMPETE
tive British production that does not
have such advantage. The levying
If a tariff duty that would equalize
this difference in industrial conditions
would permit these industries to flour
ish on English soil.
Tho nd
ger to British industry as the result
Of the present economic policy. 1t is
something that the war has brought
to the fore, and in the United states
as we'll This is the inability of ma
ton to provide those necessary mater
ials for use in her industries which
have become a monopoly of foreign
countries. The commission finds that
the cutting off by war Of German sup
plies of aniline dyes has brought great
and increasing embarrassment to lead
ing British industries, and indicates a
condition Of dependence which it an
nounces must now cease. The one
and only remedy for this condition is,
OF course, protective tariff duty
which will permit such products to be
made at home.
This report is a very valuable ad-
dition to the arguments in favor of
a protective tariff for any nation, no
matter how great and strong, and no
matter row apparently we'll qualified
to paddle its own industrial canoe. 1T
is needed for financial solvency, for the
raising Of the revenue to pay the ex-
pense Of government. Direct taxes
can be brought into play for emergency
use, but they should be reserved for
such a time. Such a tariff is needed,
too. to make a nation Independent in
dustrially, and to prevent abnormal
conditions having a paralyzing effect
upon the producers Of that nation.
There is no escape from such a con-
clusion. and the United States will
do well to pay heed to such a report
from the very home of free trade.