Evening star., 1923-10-10
BRITAIN FACING
PREFERENCE FIGHT
Free Traders. Alarmed by
Governments Offer "Favor-
ing" Protectionists.
BY the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
LONDON. October 10.-The govern
ment's offer of imperial preference.
made before the economic division of
the conference of dominion premiers
yesterday. evidently is to raise an
acute controversy between the pro-
tectionists and the free traders. The
Morning Post. strongly protectionist.
says:
THE proposals are, all in ALL too
ttmid n beginning of the new and
hopeful policy into which our politi-
clans will be forced by circumstances
and opinion to go Il great deal
further"
The Daily News and the West
minister Gazette, staunch free
traders are alarmed at the offer Of
preference under which dried, pre-
served and canned fruits would be
admitted free from all parts Of the
empire. while IA tariff would be MAIN
tanned on similar products from for
tign countries.
Such an innovation. they say. would
b. disastrous to Great Britain, as 1t
would raise the price of food.
Henderson Hits Propaganda.
Arthur Henderson, the labor leader.
in a speech. denounced "specious
propaganda in favor of fiscal changes.
which are advocated as means OF
promoting and increasing Imperial
trade.
Imperial preference took great
step forward. when, yielding to the
request of Australia and other domin-
ions, the British government an
nounced to the imperial conference
it's new offer to admit empire dried.
preserved and canned fruits duty Tree
while maintaining considerable duties
against similar foreign products. Ihe
government offers also either to IN
crease the empire preference on un-
mania ctured tobacco or StaDlllZe the
existing preference for decade ana
TO guarantee that there shal pc no o
diminution in the preference Srahted
to empire sugar for a decade.
This concession followed upon
frank advice given the government
the previous day by the Australian n
premier, Stanley N. Bruce. to place
a protective tariff on foodstufS ana
raw materials on sliding scale. IN
order to protect producers from uh-
remuneratiNe prices. MI. nruce also
proposed other means of discrlmina-
ting in favor of the empire producers
against foreign countries, especially
a scheme of purchase corporations
which would give preference TO sriils briiIsh
dominion products for the stabillza-
tfon of prices and the maintenance
Of war reserves of essential food-
stuffs.
Arguments by Australian.
Premier Bruce supported his sug-
cestiuus by strong arguments. when,
II may be supposed, Will have great
influence upon the British minister's
who already have been accused OF CO.
quoting with the idea of protection.
although both Premier BALDWIN ana
his predecessor, Mr.. Bonar Law, nave
repeatedly declared themselves In the
present parliament, pledging no
change in the fiscal policy. and, above
all that rhey would not place pro-
tective duties on foodstuffs.
The liberal and labor organs nave
long predicted the coming of big
struggle--free trade versus protection
and todayS concession to the do
minionS will be regarded by them as
an advance in the way of protection
which will be fought to the utmost in
parliament. The British cabinet Is a
conservative cabinet and if the party
Organization declares in favor of Pre-
mier BruceS tariff proposals the cabl-
net would almost certainly be bound
to acquieSce. but in that case would.
under the existing pledges, need to
dissolve parliament and appeal to the
country. Presumably the proposals
the government made today could be
adopted by parliament without in
fringing the free trade pledges.