PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
C.O. 885
8
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
| ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE
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PRESENT ALSO :—
The Honourable W. PATERSON, Minister of Customs for the Dominion of
Canada.
The Honourable W. S. Fielding, Minister of Finance for the Dominion
of Canada.
The Right Honourable GERALD BALFOUE, M.P., President of the Board of
Trade.
The Right Honourable the EARL OF DUDLEY, Parliamentary Secretary to
the Board of Trade.
Sir FRANCIS HOPWOOD, K.C.B., Permanent Secretary to the Board of
Trade.
Mr. H. LI. Smith, Deputy Comptroller General of the Commercial,
Labour, and Statistical Department of the Board of Trade. Mr. T. W. HOLDERNESS, C.S.I., representing the India Office. Sir ROBERT GIFFEN, K.C.B.
The SECRETARY OF STATE: The reports of our last and previous meetings have been sent round, I assume, to all the Prime Ministers, and I hope that they will take care to correct them, where necessary, for the final proof.
The last time in what I said myself there were a good number of errors, which I am afraid is due to the fact that sitting round here talking among ourselves, we are not quite sufficiently well heard by the reporters.
I have been considering the progress made with reference to this important question of trade relations, and I have a suggestion to make to the Conference in connexion with it. It appears to me that while we are agreed generally, we have not yet been able to make any approach to a definite settlement, and that in respect of that, the interests of the different Colonies, and groups of Colonies, are various, and that we could hardly hope to make an arrangement which would apply exactly in the same terms to every Colony. Therefore, if we are to do anything, I think our first business is to come to close quarters, which we can only do if representatives of the several Colonies concerned would agree to meet privately representatives of the Home Government, and discuss these matters with them.
more
The general principle is that we do desire to increase inter-Imperial trade, and are willing to consider preference 28 one of the means by which that increase can be accomplished. But the preference, as we pointed out on a previous occasion, may be given either by a fixed reduction applying to all the duties which are at present leviable in the Colonies, or it might be given by special reductions on special articles, amounting, however, on the whole, to the same advantage as would be given by a fixed reduction. For instance, if I take the result of a fixed reduction on the part of Canada, say of the 33 per cent. which she gives us to-day, to 50 per cent., I find that that would amount to a loss of revenue on the part of Canada to the extent of say 160,000%. That would be one way of giving us the preference we desire, but it might be still advantageous if the 160,000l. were given to us in still larger reductions upon a limited number of articles instead of a lump reduction upon every article in the tariff, and those are points which, I do not think we can determine except by some such preliminary discussion in Committee as I have suggested, and if the Prime Ministers present agree with me, I would propose that we should not to-day attempt to pass any general resolution, but that we should arrange for such meetings as I have suggested between our experts on the one hand and the Prime Ministers or their experts on the other, in the case of each Colony or group of Colonies and that when those gentlemen have come to any conclusion they should present it to the Conference, and on receipt of that, I think we could very easily devise a general resolution which would cover the whole. A general resolution, of course, not dealing with the detail, but dealing with the general principles upon which these sub-committees have been working. That is the suggestion that I wish to make.
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Sir WILFRID LAURIER: On behalf suggestion and are prepared to act upon it. my colleagues can meet him.
of Canada we accept your Mr. Balfour can fix a day when
The PRESIDENT of the BOARD OF TRADE: I would just like to may
I do not know if Mr. Chamberlain means to suggest that the conclusions at which these Committee Meetings are to arrive are to be final conclusions, or whether they are merely to serve as general indications upon which a resolution can be based. I think it might be very difficult indeed to draw up a special list of articles in respect to which preference was to be given, with the certainty that those articles are the articles most suited for such a preference. It might be desirable that we should have an opportunity of hearing and consulting Chambers of Commerce on the subject. No doubt it would not be difficult for us to arrive, roughly speaking, at a list of articles in respect to which a preference would prima facie be of most advantage to this country.
The SECRETARY OF STATE: Well, I should say as to that, I have also considered the subject. I do not think that at this stage, or probably while the Conference is sitting, it would be possible for us to consult Chambers of Commerce; the meaning of that would be that we should raise all sorts of expectations, we should have public discussions in the news- papers, our proceedings would be no longer confidential, and I think it would seriously hamper our progress, and therefore I think that must be ruled out as impracticable at the present stage, but I do anticipate, and do look forward with hope at any rate to the possibility that such Committees as I have suggested might arrive, as Mr. Balfour has sail, at rough conclusions ; it would not follow that they might not omit some article or include some article which afterwards we might wish to alter, and that would be a matter, of course, for subsequent negotiation between the respective Governments, but in the meanwhile something of a rough plan might be agreed upon which, as I say, would be reported to the Conference and form part of its proceedings, and then if we decide to publish the proceedings of the Conference, or, at all events, the results at which we have arrived, the public discussion would take place both here and in the Colonies, and, of course, in any case our decisions would not be final because we should have to submit them to our respective Parliaments.
The PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF TRADE: I quite agree.
Mr. SEDDON: I may say, Mr. Chamberlain, that I do not see that much good can come from what you have suggested. As far as we are concerned, speaking for the Colony of New Zealand, we have come to a conclusion, and in respect of that conclusion, which I have stated to the Conference, I should be prepared to recommend. but I should not like to take upon myself the responsibility of going through the various items, and coming to a conclusion upon them, and then letting them be submitted as part of our proceedings and agreed to in the Report. I would like to consult my colleagues. I would also like to have the opinion of experts and the Chambers of Commerce in the Colony. Canada is fairly well fortified having her experts here to go into the question, and can do so almost with the certainty that the results would be satisfactory. but although having a general knowledge, and a fair knowledge of details, I would not be prepared myself to go into. this question beyond, as I think, that which is almost unanimously agreed by the members of the Conference. My view of the matter, in the present situation is, that we ought to affirm a general principle by resolution. Having affirmed that, and I take it that there will be no difference of opinion, we should be practically unanimous. Canada has already given a preferential tariff, Natal has signified that she is prepared to do it, the Cape of Good Hope, New Zealand, and South Africa; the only one we have not had an expression of opinion from definitely upon the subject has been the representative of Newfoundland. If, therefore, we pass a general resolution, which was practically come to at our last conference, on the subject of the preferential tariff, if necessary the question of going into detail as to the manner would be determined by the Parliaments and H 4
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