CO885-(7-8) — Page 640

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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

C.O. 885

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-

COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

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PRESENT ALSO:-

The Right Honourable GERALD BALFOUR, M.P., President of the Board of

Trade.

Sir FRANCIA Horwood, K.C.B., Permanent Secretary to the Board of

Trade.

Sir ALFRED BATEMAN, K.C.M.G.

The Honourable W. S. FIELDING, Minister of Finance for the Dominion of

Canada.

The Honourablo W. Paterson, Minister of Customs for the Dominion of

Canada.

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The Honourable Sir FREDERICK BORDEN, K.C.M.G., Minister of Militia

and Defence for the Dominion of Cauada.

Mr. T. W. HOLDERNESS, C.S.I., representing the India Office.

The SECRETARY OF STATE: I hand in the following memorandum :- The Prime Ministers undertake to submit to their respective Parliaments votes according to the subjoined list as a contribution towards the Imperial Memorial, to be erected in honour of Her late Majesty Queen Victoria. It is understood that the sums contributed will be applied in each case to the erection of some special feature in accordance with the general scheme, but associated with the contributing Colony. The design for such special feature will be submitted to the Governments of the contributing Colonies before it is carried out.

C'olony,

Dominion of Canada

Commonwealth of Australia

New Zealand

The Cape Colony

The Colony of Natal

The Colony of Newfoundland

Amount of Vote.

£

£

£

£

£2,000

The SECRETARY OF STATE: Then, I think porhaps the President of the Board of Trade will just state as far as he is able to do so, the result of his communications.

The PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF TRADE: Mr. Chamberlain, the understanding arrived at at the last Conference on trade matters was that the representatives of the Board of Trade should meet the representatives of Canada and Australia, in order, as you expressed it, to come as far as possible to close quarters, and to ascertain the nature and extent of the preference which those Colonies were prepared to give to the Mother Country. No arrangements were made as to meeting tho_representatives of New Zealand, or the Cape, or Natal, or Newfoundland. In fact no proposal whatever had come from Newfoundland, and as regards New Zealand, the Cape and Natal, the representatives of those Colonies had stated what they were prepared to do, and how fur they were prepared to go, at tho same time adding that they were not in a position to go into details respecting those proposals, or respecting any modification of them which we might have to suggest.

A

A short conversation which I had with Sir Edmund Barton, immediately after our last meeting, rather tended to indicate that Australia was in the same position. I have, however, supplied Sir Edmund Barton with preliminary list of articles in respect of which a preference, we think, would give the greatest advantage to the manufacturers of this country, but I have not been able to meet Sir Edmund Barton himself.

With regard to Canada, I have had two meetings with the Canadian repre- sentatives, with this result. I understand that they are prepared to go further

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than they have already done in giving trade advantages to the Mother Country, but that they are not ready to undertake that those trado advantages should assume the form of a reduction of the duties now charged upon British imports. They would, however, be prepared to consider lists of selected articles, and with respect to some of those articles to give a further preference to the Mother Country by reducing the duties on imports from the Mother Country, in respect of other of those articles by increasing the duties now levied upon foreign imports of a similar character, and in respect to other articles again, by making them dutiable when of foreign origin, while still leaving them on the free list. when imported from this country. I have made out here a short statement, gathered partly from the proceedings of our con- ferences, and partly from what has taken place at the meetings which I have had with the Ministers from Canada, Mr. Fielding and Mr. Paterson, and this statement, I think, represents fairly accurately what the repre- sentatives of the various Colonies have undertaken to recommend to their respective Parliaments. If there are any mistakes or omissions in it, of course I shall be glad to have them pointed out.

The SECRETARY OF STATE: Perhaps you will read it.

The PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF TRADE: This is the statement:-

"As a result of the communications which have taken place it " is understood that the representatives of the Colonies herein-after

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" mentioned are prepared to recommend to their respective Parliaments

preferential treatment of British goods on the following lines:--

"CANADA. The existing preference of 33 per cent., and an additional preference on lists of selected articles.

(a) by further reducing the duties in favour of the United

Kingdom;

"(b) by raising the duties against foreign imports;

$6

(c) by imposing duties on certain foreign imports now on the

free list.

"AUSTRALIA.-Preferential treatment not yet defined as to nature

or extent.

"NEW ZEALAND.-A preference of 10 per cent, or its equivalent by a reduction of duty on British manufactured goods."

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Mr. SEDDON: You had better qualify adjustment" there. As I said in my speech with respect to industries, we may have to raise the duties on foreign goods the same as Canada has done, leaving the present tariff on British goods and not prejudicing our industries.

The PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF TRADE: I see. I will mako that alteration in the report :-

The CAPE and NATAL-A preference of 25 per cent., or its equivalent on dutiable goods other than specially rated articles, to he given by increasing the duties on foreign imports.

Sir ALBERT HIME: I should just like to ask Mr. Balfour what is the moaning of or its equivalent."

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The SECRETARY OF STATE: In case it were thought desirable to give a larger preference on particular articles and a lesser preference on others.

Sir ALBERT HIME: Yes.

The SECRETARY OF STATE: With a result that practically a similar concession was made, but not tying the Colonies down to an absolutely fixed preference in every case.

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