The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1916-03-25
BRITISH FREE
TRADE BEING
BOMBARDED
The Attack is Far Greater Than That
Engineered by Joseph Chamberlain
a Dozen Years Ago-Man-
chester Leads in the


London, March 25.--Free trade, the cor.
nerstone of the British fiscal policy, is go
ing through the greatest trial it has had
since the historic days of Golden and
Bright, and greater far than the upheaval
a dozen years ago when Joseph Chamber
lain threw the bomb of protection. The
latter agitation was political with the
picturesque personality of Chamberlain
behind it, but this new movement is
spontaneous with the people and great
business organizations, and is gaining
strength as it proceeds. 1t began in the
group of great commercial cities--Man-
chester, Birmingham, Sheffield and Brad
ford--linked together as one communi
ty, and is sweeping through the country,
rivaling even the war as a topic of heat
ed discussion, and taking a firm hold of
the government itself.
Manchester, the citadel of free trade
and the home of Golden, has taken the
most drastic action in rejecting the ira
ditional doctrine on which a good deal
of its fame rests. The board of direc
tors of its chamber of commerce, being
men inheriting the old Golden spirit,
sought to reassert the traditions of the
city by reiterating the Manchester doe
trine of free trade, BY unanimous vote
of 80 out of 80 directors, they adopted
the following resolutions
1.-THE Manchester chamber adheres to
the policy of free trade, not a mere doc
trinaire free trade. but free trade for
the purpose of admitting imports at the
lowest possible cost, especially raw mate
- =. 70 ot,,raJ ar4soIaS
which are practically the raw materials
of various trades; and the chamber re-
sists proposals for protective tariffs, see I
ing that these bolster up artifcially in /
efficient industry at the expense of the {
This resolution brought on a storm
such as Manchester has not seen since
the war began. 1t was at once ehal-
lenged by the new protective element Of
the body. and vote called for by the
full chamber On the vote the directors
were overwhelmed, two to one, 9Ss to
527, a majority of 46l against them and
their free trade pronouncement. The po-
sition of the directors at once became un-
-enable, and the 30 who had passed the
resolution submitted their designations.
These were accepted with thanks and /
'heers. and a new board not committed to &
rec trade is being chosen. The men who
'esigned include two Manchester men, +,
,ers of Parliament Mr.. Needham and Mr.. :
Iidd. and many Of the solid old figures
II Manchester life But il was not so
much the action itself. but the symp
oms il showed Of a deep change Of SEN
iment at the home Of the old free trade
movement. which has aroused the live
lest comment here and throughout the
ountry.
Birmingham and the other industrial
communities have spoken along similar
ines. but without the sensational exit
{ the staid free trade directors. Birming-
ans resolution calls for the appoint
rent 81 business men 10 formulate busi-
css politics, particularly the formation
{ q general tariff system. This Is rec
gnized as part Of the same movement
raiust the traditional policy. and against
be inteiieotuals and large lawyer-elc- :