New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-10-29
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Total. l,936.OUp ] @ZUSOUU,VDU

Textile fabrics. which row employ about 5000
steam en- gines, 100000 spindies and nearly
500 900 operatives In France, have almost trcbled
since ENGLAND abolished cuSIom-hOuse duties IN
1912. the total product for France then beng
S275 600. 900 against about 800, 900 at the
present time.
Is possible for free-traders to explain satisfac
tOrI.y the decline of the wool'en and woTst'd liz
dustry in England, and its increase of go per cent
In thirty years in protective France1
Tue decay of the silk industry to One-third its
former proportions in England. and It's increase of
900 per cent in the last thirty wears in France
The obliteration of the cotton industry since
1850 in some parts of Great Britain, and its IN
crease of 80 per cent during the same time II
Francei
The decline of the linen industry in England aud
Ireland, and its increase in Frarcei
The decline of the hand made lace trade in Great
Britain and Its increase Of 100 per cent in France
second time in this century France passed
through an exhausting war, and a second time paid
an enormous contribution to the victOrs. Yet, to
use the words of an English writer, France under
protection Is better off than England under free
trade. All who will NAV that countries like the
United States and France not only prosper under
protection, but can easily bear calamties which
would crush England long che keeps her
present policy"
From the facts brought out in the German letters
il would seem that the few years of free-rade
as disastrous to Germany as the loss of territory
ana billiards to France-at any rate, France re-
covered the shock first.
The most eminent French and English author-
ties agree that the greater part of France the
standard of comfort and well-6eing has been
increasing ever since the termination OF the
great war in 1915. Tho country bal been
literally drained by wars and a century
and half of bad government. Misery aud
poverty abounded on all sides, even among the
mddle-classes and landowners. The change OF
the condition of the country from Of poverty TO
extreme wealth Is almost unpara Ileled in history.
The creation Of a railway system raised the value
of land aud the thrifty habits of the people enabled
them to save. But above all, the grand economic
principles of such statesgIen as Chaptal. steadily
adhered TO, called into life the great Industries
which, added to agricultural wealth, have given
France the position she now occupies among the
nations OF the earth and increased the wealth pro-
ducing powers as shown by MulhalPs array Of in-
oustral statistics
Had France been contented TO have bought her
coal Of England. the great northern coal-helds OF
the Nord aud Pas de Caais after many vain at
tenpts might have still remained undiscovered,
and the annual product Of coal never have reached
Z0OOO,OO0 tons. Almost prOhibltorY duties on
Iron obliged people to extract it from their own
mnes. and as a result IRON industry has been
established which to-day consumes annually
nearly 5.00O,OO0 tons Of ores, producing over
100000 tons of pig iron, over a million tons OF
wrought iron, about half million tons of steel,
and exporting metals and machinery to the value
Of nearly 100 O0O. 900 francs yearly
Have not Chaptaps words. that in the due course
Of time "her own manufactures would arrive at
Perfection and be sold cheaper than the foreign"
come true in the iron industry. for which France
Is perhaps, least adapted well IN that OF The
textilest
Left as an agricultural country. France, during
the last century, would have decreased in popula-
tion and lost her position among the great powers
Of the world Since 1901 all he industrial centr 8
OF France have increased enormously, aud u the
rest of The population had increased IN the same
ratio, France would now possess 75,OOOOO0 OF IN