In the House of Commons on Wednesday, in replying to
the Liberal amendment on Free Trade, the Prime Minister made an important statement of fiscal policy. A large part of the debate was just heavy artillery fire of the usual kind when this- question is discussed. Free Trade is, of course, much the largest of the Liberal projectiles, and the Liberals had been waiting to do some damage with it They came into the debate intent upon finding Protection sequestered somewhere in the Government's policy, and Mr. Lloyd George—with most impressive denunciations—announced that he had found it in the Government's scheme under the Safe- guarding of Industries Act. It is true that this scheme proposes a general Protection for threatened industries, but the proofs of unfair or exceptional competition which will be required are so drastic that there will be no Protection at all in the ordinary sense unless the Government should break their pledges. Who really believes that they will do that ? Mr. Baldwin proposes to set up machinery for developing trade within the Empire. In the first place attention will be given to marketing. New and untried ways will be sought for. encouraging the flow of Empire products, and meat and fruit will receive special attention. One million pounds a year will be devoted to this work of development.
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