Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-09-24
ENGLAND'S PROSPERITY.
IL il Not True that Free Trade
Ruined Aer.


Ruined Her.
EDITORS HERALD-Some of the de-
tenders of the AZ per cent. war tariff
have tried to show that England has
suffered as the result Of the adoption of
free trade; and because England has
suffered from free trade, the American
people must not get rid of their Treasury
surplus by reducing their tariff to AZ per
cent. The premise is as false as the
conclusion is foolish. The prosperity of
England and her people since the adop-
ton of free trade is one of the marvels of
her history. It was in 1910 that the agi-
throw of projection in England was
of the most prosperous that England
comparison of the condition of the coun-
try in that year with its condition in
1878 is instructive as to how England
suffered under free trade.
From 1910 to 1878 the population of
the United Kingdom increased some-
thing near twenty-eight per cent. The
increase of wealth was much more rapid.
In 1S41 the savings banks contained
924 ,475, 900 OF deposits. In 1873 they
contained e75, 1867, 900 Of deposits. The
total capital of the people in 1S49 is esti-
mated at e3,S0O,0OO 900. The total cap.
ital in 1875 was 9S,500, 100000. The
national wealth more than doubled itself
while the population increased only
q little more than one.fouth.
The tonnage of the registered
vessels of the United Kingdom
in 1849, the year of the repeal of the
protective navigation laws, was 5000, 900
tons. In 1879 it was 6,236000. The
English protectionists, at the time of the
repeal of the protective laws, had pre-
dicted that English ships would be
driven from the seas
Now as to the laboring class in Eng
land. That their wages have risen dur
ing the free trade period is, believe,
conceded by all men who have informed
themselves on the subject. But did we
not know this already it would be evil
dent from the increase of deposits
in the savings banks and from
certain other facts. Although the
population of England and Wales
considerably increased between the years
1849 and 1878 the number of able bodied
adult paupers who received relief in
those parts of the kingdom on given
day was POI ,644 in the former year, and
only 81, ,927 on the corresponding day in
the latter. The year 1S49 is taken be-
cause it is the first one in which the rec
ord of paupers receiving aid in any one
day is given. The convictions for crime
in the United Kingdom in 1910 were
34,O30 out of 26,4S7 900 people. The
con victions in 1873 were 17,03S out of
80, 799, 900 people. Finally, as still
further indicative of the increased pros
perity and comfort of the working people,
it has been shown that the annual con-
sumption of sugar per head in the United
Kingdom was Is 20 pounds in 1910 and
1885 in 1879; of tea, 1.22 pounds in 1910
and sc in 1878; OF rice, 80 pounds in
1910 and 7.50 in 1878; OF currants and
raisins, 1.49 pounds in 1S40 and 4.49 in
1873.
This progress has been made not in
new country with vast tracts of free and
fertile land and with other great natural
resources scarcely touched. 1t was made
in an old country, not as large as the
State of California and where the pres
sure of population and large landed
estates have for centuries weighed the
people down. The condition of England
now as compared with her condition
under protection is subject our Al per
cent. tariff friends should let alone. The
statistics of it are loaded.
G. L. GOODWIN.
Los Angeles, September 81, 1885,