REFORMERS, At last the Tariff Reformers are congratulating themselves that they have pinned Mr. Balfour. There are others, however, who still doubt whether he is securely fixed. Speaking at Devonport on Monday he declared that the Unionist party was or in a few months would be no longer divided on the fiscal question, which on the contrary, would rather be an ting mot deep-sealed patriotic national conviction which, inspiring alike leaders and followers, is predestined, to make the next Unionist Administration memorable in the history of this country." That was a sentiment which provoked a rousing cheer succeeding sentences must have acted, at least' to a slight extent, asa damper. He went on to say that he did not propose to go into detail in "this ancient, but now controversy of the fiscal question, to argue that one of the reasons, not the chief reason, for desiring unanimity in the party was that they might unite in attacking the present Government upon other questions—to which thereupon he proceeded to devote the rest of his speech. This gave loop-hole to Mr. Asquith on the following day to draw the conclusion that Mr. Balfour was bored with the fiscal question, and to point out once more that in spite of his own repeated questions, which had been reiterated with emphasis by Tariff ity. Reformers, the ex-Premier had never withdrawn patio declarations against food-taxes, though it is acknow-edged by all who are not afraid to speak their mind that without taxes on food,—one may add without taxes on raw inaterials,—neither the tariff reform scheme of Mr. Chamberlain nor any modification of it which includes Colonial Preference is possible.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.