The Ottawa Conference rose on Tuesday. Its chief work was
to pass a resolution recording its belief "in the advisa- bility of a Customs arrangement between Great Britain and her Colonies by which trade within the Empire may be placed upon a more favourable footing than that on which trade is carried on with foreign countries." It was further resolved that, until the Mother-country can see her way to enter into a Customs arrangement with her Colonies, "it is desirable that, when empowered so to do, the Colonies and Great Britain, or such of them as may be disposed to accede to this view, shall take steps to place each others' products, either in whole or in part, on a more favoured Customs basis than is accorded to like products of foreign countries." This is either a very dangerous or a very foolish resolution. We have no objection. to the Colonies giving specially favourable treatment to our goods, though we should prefer for their own sakes that they should act on the true Free-trade principle, but we can never return the favour in kind, and protect them in our markets against foreign competition. Unless we are prepared to bring ourselves to the condition which America has reached through McKinieyism, we must stick to our principle that whoever has goods to sell may come freely and sell them here.
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