1474 IMPERIAL UNITY [PART VIII
The Conference also asserted the principle of preferential
trade. They recognized that free trade between the Mother
Country and the British Dominions beyond the seas was not
practicable at the present moment, but that the Colonies
should grant preference to the Mother Country, and that
His Majesty’s Government should be urged to consider the
expediency of granting preferential treatment to the products
and the manufactures of the Colonies. Canada undertook
to continue its preference of 334 per cent. and to increase it ]
New Zealand promised a preference of 10 per cent. ; the
Cape and Natal a general preference of 25 per cent., and
Australia an undefined general preference.
On the same principle it was agreed that it was desirable
that in Government contracts, whether Colonial or Imperial,
the products of the Empire should be preferred to those of
foreign countries.
The attention of the Governments was to be called to the
navigation laws of the Empire and in other countries, and
to the advisability of refusing the privileges of coastwise
trade, including in that term trade between the United
Kingdom and the Colonies and between one Colony and
another, to countries in which the corresponding trade was
confined to national vessels, and it was also recommended
that it should be considered whether any other steps
should be taken to promote Imperial trade in British
vessels,
The other recommendations were of a minor character, in
favour of the adoption of the metric system of weights and
measures, the mutual protection of patents, the right of
purchasing cables, and the establishment of cheap postage
on newspapers and periodicals 2
* These promises were made good in the next tariff legislation of all
these Colonies. Cf. Jebh, Colonial Nationalism, pp. 214-40; Parl, Pap.,
Cd. 2326; H. C. 310, 1903 (Canada) ; Cd. 1599, 1640 (1903): 2077 (1906).
For an analysis of the preferences and full details, see Cd. 3524, pp- 317 seq.
? Carried into effect by an arrangement with Canada in 1906 (Ewart,
Kingdom of Canada, pn. 289-97), since extended to Newfoundland.
