The daily gazette., 1881-08-30
Depression I'm England.

depression In England.
From the st. Louis Globe Democrat.
Since the year 1872, there has been q
steady decline In the economic prosperi-
ty Of England. During the previous
thirty years there had been at unpre-
cedented growth. The wealth of the
nation was increased IN manner which
was little short of marvellous. Villages
sprsng into prominence as large manu-
featuring cities and English goods stood
preeminent in the markets Of the world.
The argument 10 not brought against
the truth OF free-trade principles 10 the
abstract, but It Is rousiDg doubts in the
English mind whether one nation can
pursue the practice Of free trade while
all the other nations adopt iifferent
one.
The subject Is attracting degree OF
attention commemorate with the seri-
business of the situation. The British
reviews and newspapers are vigorously
discussing 1t, There is strong paper
on the subject In the current number of
the Quarterly, which sets forth figures
that are almost startling. 1t shows that
the exports Of cotton manufactures to
the United States in 1870 were f2,874,-
e97, while in 1880 they were f1,74s,6 ,645.
To Germany In 1872 they we're f6,0O0.-
900; In 1880 they had fallen TO fl, $780,
QUO. The expectation to Egypt In ten
years decreased 68 per csnt. That to
Holland fell from Ca, ,750, 900 to f2,6OO,-
OOO. In woollen manufactures, with
which the people of Bradford are main
" concerned, the sales in that town
alone show the following record:-1s72,
fs,659, ,6Se; 1876, eS,024,612; 1881, ST.
010,514.
This is virtual ruin. Bradford manu-
facturers are setting up factories ON the
Continent and In the United States, and
there Is nothing left for the work. nemen
but emigration, If q change for the better
does not soon occur. A similar state OF
affairs, differing only In degree, exists
In Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield, Birm-
ingham, Rochdale aud other manufac-
turing centers. In Birmingham there
are said to be 1000 houses without
tenants. or the 967 blast furnaces In
the country, $50 only are in operation. 1t
Is clear that England no longer manu-
factures for the rest of the world as she
did.
Other nations have been learning to
provide for themselves, and are defend
Ing themselves from English competition
by tariffs. IL was not reasonable to ex-
pect that other nations would perpetual
ly abstain from manufacturing indus
tries. England took the lead and, by
means Of improved machinery aud new
inventions, reaped wonderful harvest.
But labor was even cheaper In France
and Germany than 1t was in England,
and those two nations, when they adopt
ed suitable machinery, made themselves
comparatively independent. The ac-
tion OF the trades unions in England lost
1t many valuable contracts They re-
fused to accede TO the inevitable and
work for reduced wages, and the only
chance for retaining much business thus
vanished. The truth Ia not that Eng-
land Is being reduced below her proper
sphere In the worlds Industries 1t IL
that she has been enjoying more than
has belonged to her naturally, and that
she is sinking to her level.
Meanwhile her agricultural interests
have been suffering. Foreign products.
admitted tree of duty, have encouraged
the manufacturer with cheap food. bat
If tho Quarterly is right they have forced
l,OOO, QUO acres of land out of cultiya-
tion in ten years and brought rents
down TO very low figures. The value OF
properly In Great Britain during the
twenty-seven years between 1851 and
1879 averaged EST, ,709,05s. The aver
age from 1876 to 1878 was f24, ,67O,579.
On the other hand, the increas. in grais
imports from the United States during
one year, 1880, was f7,100,O00. The
whole excess Of imports over exports
over exports was f1S7, ,170,520 Eng
land bought Of the United States Geo.
OOO, 900 worth of goods and sold to it
f22, ,95O, ,099, paying tho difference in
money. It 10 submitted by the writer
that this Is neither free trade nor fair
trade. The United Sistes levies duty
Of from 40 to 200 per cent. on English
goods, and England admits United
States products free. It takes dyed-in-
the wool free trader to stand up In the
face Of these facts and claim that, after
all, 1t 10 the best that England can do.
The reviewer in the Quarterly, in
recommending reciprocity, which Is
another name for retaliatory duties,
represents q strong and growing mi
nority. The London Times says that
it is becoming necessary to fight the
whole battle of free trade over again."
Even Mr.. Gladstone departs from the
FREQ trade standpoint when he says -
"We do not regard with any satisfac-
tion the system under which an arti.
fetal advantage Is given in our mar
kets to the products of foreign labor,
the principle to be observed being that
of equality. Some people say It is q
good thing because the consumer gets
the benefit of it, but do not think
that any benefit founded on inequality
and injustice can bring good even to
the consumer" Such words from the
mouth of an English Premier mean
great deal.
But while England has been suffer-
ing greatly from the loss Of trade In
general, the severity of it Is lightened
by the increased business with her
colonies, and there has been an one
larRement Of her shipping interests. -
The course Of relief indicated is the
cultivation Of the colonial trade,