It is true that such an arrangement can cover only
a small field. It is obvious that if the Dominions were to be given preferences all along the line we should have to tax foreign food-imports, for food in one form or another is what the Dominions mainly send to us. Nobody who remembers the great Tariff Reform controversy will forget that Mr. Joseph Chamberlain used freely to admit that to build up a complete system of preferential tariffs you must tax food. On that admission Tariff Reform perished. The great majority of people in this country would not consent to have their food taxed, and our strong belief is that, in spite of all the persuasive arguments that may be addressed to them, they will remain of the same opinion. It looks now as though this great controversy may be staged again. We sincerely hope that Unionists who are Tariff Reformers will preserve in this matter a proper sense of proportion and think out clearly the question whether it is worth while to abandon all the oppor- tunities for usefulness which belong to the Unionist Party in order to fight an heroic but forlorn hope. It is also to be remembered, of course, that the Government are pledged not to alter in essentials our fiscal policy. The scheme laid before the Economic Conference on Tuesday was obviously drafted with that pledge in view.
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