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
ments 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
timid beginning of the new and
hopeful policy into which our politi-
clans will be forced by circumstances
and opinion to go a 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
empire. while a tariff would be main
talned on similar products from for
ciEn countries.
Such an innovation, they say. would
be disastrous to Great Britain. as II
would raise the price of food.
Henderson Hits Propaganda.
Arthur Henderson, the labor leader.
In a speech. denounced Tspecious
propaganda in favor OF fiscal changes.
which are advocated as a means OF
promoting and increasing imperial
trade"
Imperial preference took a great
step forward. when, yielding to the
request of Australia and other domin-
ions, the British government an
Touneed to the imperial conference
its new offer to admit empire Qrleo,
preserved and canned fruits duty free,
10 n I a N
against similar foreign products. Ihe
government offers also either to IN
crease the empire preference on un-
manufactured tobacco or stabilize the
existing preference for decade and
to guarantee that there shall be no
tl;minution in the preference granted
TO empire sugar for a decade.
This concession followed upon
frank advice given the government
the previous day by the Australian
premier. Stanley NJ. Bruce. to place
a protective tariff on foodstuHs ana
raw materials on a sliding scale, In
order to protect producers from un-
remuneratiye prices. Mr.. Bruce also
proposed other means OF discri NINA
ting in favor of the empire producers
against foreign countries, especially
a scheme of purchase corporations,
which would give preference TO BRUSH
dominion products Tor the stdpILiHa
ton of prices and the maintenance
of war reserves OF esSentlai 1000
stuffs1
Arguments by Australian.
Premier Bruce supported his sug-
gestions by strong arguments. which,
ii may be supposed, Will have great
influence upon the British ministers,
who already have been accused OF CO.
uuetting with the idea of protection,
although both Premier Baldwin and
his predecessor, Mr. Bonar Law, nave
repeatedly declared themselves In the
present parliament, pledging no
change in the fiscal policy, and, above
all, that they would not place pro-
tectiVe duties on foodstuffs.
The liberal and labor organs have
long predicted the coming of big
struggle-free trade versus protection
and today's 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 ca binet is a
C0nservat tive cabinet and II the party
organization declares in favor of Pre-
mier Bruce's tariff proposals the cabi-
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.