The New York herald., 1879-09-23
GREAT BRITAIN'S STRAITS.
Upheaval of Trade and Agriculture
by New Social Forces.
COTTON NO LONGER KING
Workmen the First to Plumb the Depths
of National Distress
LONDON. Sept. 10, 1879.

in the air one justified in concluding that ii can
not be far away for the Times is not generally cred
ited with the possession of much prescience' Years
ago. when the free trade agitation wasa fact, and a
very momentous one to the British world at large,
the leading organ came out with the as
founding intelligence that the free trade movement
was great fact" When therefore, this morn
ing found the leading newspapers talking about
revolutiol a thought to myself, There must. then
be something in the wild prophecies one has been
hearing up and down the country for three years
past" The Times has frequently of late taken up
the question of trade and agricultural depression
and this morning in leading article, it returns to
the question, more particularly in regard to tho
land and thus it discourses:-
.There are political and moral considerations in
volved in this question well purely CONNER
cial 1t is a political consideration OF very great
moment that. while the aggregate population and
general prosperity OF those islands has been for
many years steadily the increase, the agricul-
tural population has been decreasing. All over
England purely agricultural villages are less
populous than they were few years ago." "
1T moral consideration OF possibly gravity
that the event of the soil. property and power Of
this country being monopolized by fewer and
still fewer hands, even by processes quite spon-
taneous and unexceptionable there may arise fear
full reaction. Revolutions do not proceed by
rule and logic. They not reason
able and tine more they are examined the
less they be justified. They may have
received some impulse from philosophers and
theorists but they generally rude deliyerances
from great facts, often the quiet growth of ages,
that have acquired tyrannic force and overweening
magnitude. There certainly would arise danger
to the State and constitution of this country il the
number OF landowners and tenant farmers should
be very much diminished. the aggregate population
becoming meanwhile much greater, and retaining
its present taste for rural scenes and occupations
PIpEns, DANCERS.
The Times Expresses itself very guardedly. and it
is quite clear what it is driving at; but it will
be sufficient for many that the leading organ
revolution inevitable under certain contingencies.
There those who conceive that the land
nopoly already such that if the country is to
tnue to be prosperous it must be put an end to.
There otLers-those, to wit, more particularly
intsTressted-who ianey that devoted patriotism %
would soon set matters to rights Mr. Newde-
gate, NJ. r., is of the number;
Dut though ne and those Of like views pipe
their hardest they don't lind many that dance. They
might ask with the Chinese boy, told about by the
missionary who translated the well known words of
the parable into "Me toot toot all day, why you
skip?" And they would receive for reply "lts all
very well. srs to dance 10 the tune OF 'patrotism'
when you have got your dinner safe, but when it's
not you feel inclined to sulk and get out OF
the way OF the said piping" SO that the
prospect is that until the thousands OF workngmen
and laborers who are at present out of work get
the wherewithal to keep body and soul together,
patriotism will not be allowed to have much 10 do in
the matter, but that Independent workmen will go
where bread and butter await them rather than stay
at home and have to fight anu scramble Tor bread
they did at Glasgow yesterday.
TO those who look at tho existing state of affairs
here in practical and philosophical light there
appears to be but solution OF the difficulty
coming down step. Wherever we look there is
paralysis in trade the prosperity OF other days has
gone, and. according to some. gone forever. After
the agricultural depression comes next ia impor-
tance the distress, almost collapse in the iron and
coal trades. For the last week or two we have been
hearing much of arevval consequent on the improve
nent OF trade in the States; but far seeing paper
like the Newcastle Chtoatcte cautions the trade
against rel ing too much these Appearances and
others follow III the wake with the caveat.
The proportions TO which the falling of has at
tanned arc not to be readily recovered since 1873
have Durham coal tail from sixteen shiliings
to five shillngs per ton, and pig iron from t6 per
ton to thirty-three shillings. We have in the
iron rail trade production fall from 400 900
to 10000 tons per annum. Probably not
more than half the plant existing
for the production OF iron, II nuch is III at
the present The curtaiiment the Lancashire
cotton industry is even still moro serious and the
prospects OF revival probably still remote
day or two ago had a letter from gentleman In
the Manchester cotton trade in respect to the state
o. trade. from which cannot do better than quote
few paragraphs.
CRY FOR FRESH MARKETS.
He says:-"The trade in cotton goods can hardly
ever he again what 1t has been, unless some
channel be opened up for it, Until very recently
supplied the world with cotton goods. This cannot
bo again, or is most unlikely. The producing power
which necessary to supply the world with cot
ton goods s not necessary Tor the restricted markets
a reduction of producing power takes place.
or fresh markets, as, for instance, Africa,
are opened up. American goods tco.ton)
were selling Ia Lancashire, and some time
ago understand there great demand tor them.
but aont think IL IL SO now. We don't hnd IT 40
have great advantages over us English 1t ls almost
sslf-evdent that later they will be able
compete successfully W tn us in all the foreign
markets OF the world. They have such enormous
water power. They have also the new cot
ton TO hand The Odds therefore, certainly against
us continuing to carry monopoly. Il Is not
only America. but other countries that entering
the held IL they do no more than supply their
own wants. 1t means less trade for us. Surprising
we mud fresh market in Africa. thon OF course
term may be delayed, trade VIII revive, and may
20 full swing for a time. But IL tins should
be the case look upon 1t that in the end we shall
have To draw III Our horns. There VIII DC compete
ton here. in America and in India" The letter
concludes with the opinion that probably before
long We shall have 10 resign our first place manu-
tacturcrs, have already ceased to be tho
mOuopOllzers OF the cotton trade" This liz the
opinion OF gentleman who has been all his life in
the staple trade OF Lancashire and who has every
opportunity of knowing the extent to which manu-
facture has been curtaied and wages reduced. la
other departments of trade there is he
ing TO an earthenware manufacturer IRON
the StaIordshire potteries, where depression
aud wages reduction Is the order OK the day.
told that the American trade was the most flourish
ing. but that IL was taking on quite a new phase.
Formerly the ehief description Of earthenware
ported to the States was The cheap white ware. Now
there very lew orders for that kind of goods,
perior painted ware being more in request. indi-
eating Increase wealth and higher standard OF
domestic comfort.
woREIN0MES AROUSED.
All these things are Influences bearing upon Eng
lands trade ana prosperity which cannot bo over
looked, aud which indicate that Britain must, as
said before, be content to 'comc down step" and
be willing to share her former al
with other countries. Those VINO have hitherto been
accused o being the most obtuse to pOico-eco nomi-
cal changes, the workinen, appear t) 10 the rst
who, body, have Gt length rightly
estimated tho national state OF affairs. They
have struggled by means Of strikes and the like 70
remedy matters until they have found IL merely
a 'kicking against the pricks,' and they have il-
augurated the emigration mOvemcnt-one which. IL
anything, will tend to rcctity matters. Tho idea
was started in the north OF England, where at place
after place, associations are being formed to
courage emigration TO the States and elsow The
movement is also rapidly extending south ana taking
ia all branches OF trade. The central association
''Ihc Morkman's National Emigration Society" TO
which all other associations Gtc affiliated has just
issued circular in which workncn reminded
.t..v.s .,t