Arizona republican., 1917-03-26
COMMERCE: MAR
 AF TER THE WAR
Republican A. p. Leased Wire]

Republican A. p. Leased Wirel
 LONDON. March 25.-Discussion Of the policy of a commercial war after the war and Of a protective tariff foI Great Britain with preferential treat ment for the dominions and colonies which had lain dormant since the Paris conference, has been revived by the report of the committee on commer- cial and industrial policy. This report is merely a preliminary one. It pro- nounceS in favor of general policies. without attempting to frame details.
 It recommends also that His ma jestys government should now declare their adherance to the principle that preference should be, accorded to the products and manufactures of the Bri- tish overseas dominions in respect of | any customs duties now or hereafter | to be imposed on imports into the ! United Kingdom" It further recom- ! mends a wider range of customs duties which would be remitted or re- duced on the products and manufac | lures oI the empire, and which would form the basis of commercial treaties with allied and neutral powers" The pronouncement of this com mitreto the effect of direct chal- lenge to the free traders. One result of the Paris conference was the formation of a parliamentary free trade committee, with Lord Beauchamp as it's chairman, to act as an organized guardian of the interests of the his toric British policy.
 The view which the free trade group i holds of the report suggesting a pol 1 icy of imperial preference issued by the committee on commercial and in- dustrial policy headed by Lord Bal i four of Burleigh, is that the commit tee was not a well balanced and i'm i partial representative of British opin- l ion that it was virtually packed with i protectionists, and that leaders of the free trade faith were excluded. The free traders say the declaration of principles is put forth at the present i time for the purpose of influencing the i imperial conference which will assem- ble in London this spring. They aver that an attempt to commit the gov ernment to the adoption Of any new tariff policy at the present time is a | violation of the political truce on con- tentious matters to which the two leading parties in parliament pledged l themselves soon after the beginning of ! the war.
 The publicat ton of the report was followed by meeting of the parlia mentary free trade committee to con- slider measures for opposition. Sev- enty members of parliament attended, and the proceedings were secret. Among those present were Lord Bryce. Reginald MacKenna. chancel
 Tor of exchequer in the Asquith cab met, Walter Runciman and Sir John Simon, prominent members of cabinet,
 John Bruns and others of the rank and file of the liberal and labor parties in the commons and members of the house of lords. The discussion which took place gave evidence that there
 will be no sweeping change in the governments tariff policy, while the war is in progress without a hard party fight, with straight out protec-
 tionists for imperial preference only, and full free traders as the belliger-
 ents.
 Of course any scheme of protective
 tariff would be infinitely more com plicated and difficult for the British
 empire-with the distinct and some times opposin interests of the United
 Kingdom, and of the self governing dominions Canada, Australia, South
 Africa, and of India to be reconciled than for geographically compact na'-
 tions like the United States, Russia, Germany and France. which are pro- . tectionist countries. Ireland has come
 forward already with a plea for the - |, terests. and as strong an opponent of
 home rule as the Morning lost recog- , niZes the reasonableness of Irelends
 cla i'm
 In the new famous Paris conference
 the nations of the entente committed
 themselves to the principle of special
 commercial arrangements for the
 period of reconstruction after thew ar, at least. That policy so far as it con- | bn tic, nAraln ly 1
 strong oposition. Even it's supporters
 have not yet advanced any definite i program
 Tentative suggestions are made for a graded tariff for the United King
 dom. Nebulous suggestions appear in , the protectionist newspapers for an
 arrangement with one scale of duties
 for the colonies, a higher one for al- lies, another for neutrals and a fourth
 for enemies. Progressive protection , the scheme is styled by Francis Hirst's !, financial paper Common Sense.
 The free trade resistance by nc
 means pretends that Great Britain is likely to maintain her old policy of wide open and unrestricted free trade ' inc experiences of war have imposed
 upon the nation Q lesson Of it's limita
 tions. The lesson is that it is dan I gerous for any island nation to depend
 IEoil IlS SlipplIlS lOi liic 6icd pal or it's rationS And also that tt is equally dangerous 70 depend upon for eign imports for any materials neces- sary for carrying on war.
 overlying strata to the surface. The
 chimney shaped masses of slag are
 harder than the surrounding baked
 rock and, after that has weatheero away, form the curious pinndcles that
 surmount many clinker bluffs or buttes
 in the west
 Some of the coal beds, especially
 those exposed on the higher hills, were
 perhaps ignited by lightning, others | according to well authenticated re- ports, were ignited by prairie fires or camp fires; but as burning on the out
 crop has been so common as to affect , most of the coal beds in an area of more than 100000 square miles. much , of it has probably been due to spon- taneOuS combustion.