'Russia and India in 1903' [‎24r] (49/68)

BRITISH TRADE IN INDIA.
43
whole world ? At five General Elections my constituents
of Sheffield, all, or nearly all, working men, having to
earn their daily wages to obtain daily bread, have
answered in the negative, and little by little their
opinions are gaining ground among the whole electorate
of Great Britain. The work of the United Empire
Trade League which I represent, has during the past
twelve years been quiet and unobtrusive. It has
not sought by noisy declamation to force the hands
of the Government in order to attain its aims, but
none the less is it nearing its goal. A large part of
the extra taxation rendered necessary by the South
African War, and the days in which we live, has been
raised indirectly from the foreigner, £6,000,000 on sugar,
£2,000,000 on coal, and £2,5oo,ooo 1 on the import of
foreign wheat meal and flour, and now following the
example of the Government of India we have also
countervailing duties on foreign bounties. Now can
it be contended that this is a matter entirely within
the province of the electorate at home and not one in
which the representatives of the city of Bombay are
directly interested or concerned ? I submit that this
is not so.
Future Course of British Trade.
The future course of British trade lies as much or
more in the hands of Britons beyond the sea, as in
those of the people in England. By their action, by
that of Bombay, of Bengal and other parts of India,
they will largely be guided. The Imperial Conference
meeting last year, attended by the Premiers of all
the self-governing Colonies, heard with satisfaction
this declaration of the Rt. Hon. Joseph Chamberlain,
1 ^"2,000,000 of this revenue was wantonly surrendered by the
Budget of April 23rd, 1903.