New-York tribune., 1878-11-12
covpETITyOg WITH EyGLAND.

The Ryitish Social Science Congress devoted
one day of its late meeting to consideration
of the causes of the pre- sent depressed and
stonnaut condition of industrial enterprise IN
tbe United Kingdom. and as the discussion
was led by such masters OF the scIehee
OF political economy as Professor Bonamy
Price and Mr.. David Chadwick, NJ. p, 1t
couId not fail to I've full of instructive sug-
eestions 1t. was particularly interesting 10
us on this side of the ocean, because
among the causes assigned for the depression
were, American competition and the almost
absolute loss of the demand III this country
for all the common descriptions oil cotton ana
wOollen goods, carpets, silks, IRON rails ana the
common kinds of steel produced IN Great
Britain. Why have we become, within the
mast few years, England's competitor IN fields
of which che had undisputed possession tor a
whole gener tion7 And VIII, have we ceased
buying the articles enumerated from BritlsD
manufacturersf The answers to these ques-
tions are full of important hints bearing on
the future industrial prosperity of this coun-
try.
England was able to drive all rivals out OF
the markets of the world and to sell her
textile fabrics and her manufactures OF IRON
and steel in successful competition with every
other nation, and even with the highly pro-
tccfed home producers in the United states,
because the greater skill of her wOrkmen, the
greater perfection of her machinery, the
abundance of her capital and labor, with cheap
food and raw materials, enabled her to make
goods at less cost than anybody else. Inc
secret of the enormous accumulation oil
wealth IN Great Britain since 1910, Is cheap
rroduction. But tho time has now come when
American manufacturers, with the superior
natural advantages which this country
Possesses, have gained the skill and secured
the cheap laboy and raw materials when en-
able them to tnrn ont staple articles at as
title cost as England. The process by which
this has beer reached has been a hard one,
but the reward will come in long years Of un-
cxamped prosperity after business shall have
adaptrd itself to the new conditions. unless
some unwise act in regard to the currency or
the tariff sets us adrift again.
The ability to produce cheaply will alone
save from ultimate loss the capital that has
been unvlscly invested in this country, IN
factories, furnaces and mines Another period
Of inflated prices would undoubtedly reopen
our markets to English competition, and
every yard Of cloth that is imported every
ton of scotch iron and every English rnl
used in this country, reduces the demand Tor
the products of American industry. II we can
keen foreign nations which have goods To
sell ont Of orr own markets, and especially II
we can sell some of our surplus manufactured
ARTICLES, as well as our grain and provisions
10 England an EngianFs customers. idle
mills will start up, flooded mines Will bc
pumped ont, the fires viii be rekindled on
furnace hearjhs, and prosperity will return.
Successful competition with England, at nome
and abroad, means plenty OF employment for
both labor and capital, and a material de-
velopmcnt of the natural resources OF this
country such "a has hardly been dreamed OF.