THE COLONIES AND THE TARIFF REFORM LEAGUE.
[To THE EDITOR OF TEE "SPECTATOR."] SIR,—The following is an extract from the Morning Post of April 8th, reporting a meeting of the Tariff Reform League, with Lord Ridley as president :— " The Hon. Vere Ponsonby moved a resolution pledging support to the policy of Tariff Reform and Imperial Retaliation. Viscount Ridley, speaking in support of it, said that other countries had developed their trade by means of tariffs, and were immensely better off than when they had not those tariffs. He wanted the tariff arranged in such a way as would establish a system of preference with the colonies, which was the only practical way of extending Free Trade with them. The colonial markets were growing, and if the present state of things was allowed to continue, colonial manufacturers would in time supply their own markets, and English manufacturers would lose their colonial trade."
The words have been italicised by me, and I invite particular attention to them. I have always understood that an important object of Tariff Reformers is to strengthen the affection of, the Colonies for England. But how this is to be accomplished by the Mother-country depriving its offspring of their home market and substituting English manufactures
1 am at a loss to understand. But then I am not a Tariff Reformer. Lord Ridley's frankness is, however, most praise- worthy, and no doubt the Colonies will mark his words and the policy which they disclose.—I am, Sir, &IL,
C. H. LIIARD.
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