Frankly, we do not believe that there is the least
chance of any agreement between the Government and the Dominions if Preferences are to be the principal cement of Imperial union. But there is no reason in the world why there should not be agreement if both sides recognize that there are many kinds of cement. There is the more reason for describing this as practicable, because the failure of the British revenue to come up to expectations so far this year has brought the Government visibly nearer to the necessity of more tariffs for revenue purposes. No Free Trader in his senses has ever objected to tariffs when they were proved necessary for revenue. If more tariffs have to come, then we should prefer 'e flat rate—say, such a ten per cent. all-round tariff as was recently proposed by Mr. Hubert Henderson —to specialized tariffs which would open the way to every kind of haggling and intriguing, with the consequent friction and ill-will. With a flat-rate tariff the Lobbies would be kept clear of the scouts and touts of every industry who would try to buttonhole Members of Parliament and make out the best case for their own industries at the expense of other industries.
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