The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1890-03-21
FACTS FROM ENGLAND.
Figures Borrowed from . British Jou
nal Of Economics.

Figures Borrowed from . British Jour
nal OF Economics.
The gentlemen who assure us that
free trade stimulates home manufact-
ures IS well as foreign exchange are re-
quested to ponder the following fa,ts
and figures, borrowed from Free Trade,
an English journal of economies:
Since the introduction Of the Cobdenian Dol.
icy Of free imports and abolition Of any protec-
tion whatever Of native industry, our produo-
ton q wheat has fallen on considerably more
than one-half Qs1 square miles OF land were
thrown out Of wheat production during the past
year slone), and the skilled agricultural labor
ers have been thrown starving into our towns
and on to our streets to compete for bare life
with the lockers or to fight among numbers for
any oh ance job OF wretchedly-paid and un-
skilled labor. And what has been the fact Of
other skilled Industries for which We were once
famousi In 1859. just before the Cobdenian
treaty with France, our silk industry found d.
rect employment for 10000 souls, and imported
for the purpose Of manufacture fl0, 596, 679
worth Of raw silk; In 1885 the number Of persons
employed had fallen to AZ, 600, and our produc-
ton had SO fallen on as to demand only f2,S71,-
Sg7 worth Of raw silk. Take another pleasant
and healthful industry now all but extinct In
the year 1888 this country imported 17,66l 592
pairs Of gloves, Of which the declared value
was e., SOS, 7i9. Why were these not made ut
home, and where are the half score Of little
English towns that once made a pleasant living
out Of this like handicraft! Gone into poverty
and decay, like Prescott with its matchmaking,
81 which we wrote q fortnight ago. And the
skilled labor Of all these places driven out to
seek In rough and unskilled labor the mouthful
Of bread which 10 denied them in recompense
for their own skilled work. And yet We have
sham philanthropists and even greater shams
Of reformers prating about technical instruc-
ton" for every school child. SO that every boy
and every girl may become q full-1edged
skilled" workeri What con that skill avail
70 long as the work Of the equally skilled
foreigner is admitted on more Jarored terms to
compete with it!
1t may be contended that our cotton trade
has increased during the period specified. Just
so; but that is because the cotton manufact-
are has been the spoilt child among British in
dustries, even to the extent of having q special
protection accorded to ii in shape Of Q virtual
bounty.
It Is we'll to remember that Prof.
Taussig, who is not protectionist, has
declared that the protective tariff Of
the United States has created the silk
manufactures of the United States.
Free trade well-nigh has killed the silk
manufactures of Great Britain.
While the British production Of wheat
has diminished one.half since 1s4s, the
beginning Of the free-trade era, the
American production of food has in
creased nearly threefold since 1860, the
beginning of our protective era. The
increase Of Britain's commerce during
the free-trade era has been in woolens,
cotton goods and iron. But two pro-
tective nations latterly have been sup
plying many Of the markets which once
were Britain's commercial dependencies.
The United States, which consumes
$3.50, 600, 900 worth of wooden goods every
year, now manufactures $500, 900, 600
worth of them. Germany is making
most of her own cotton goods, and nearly
all of her own iron-ware. The United
States has become second only to Britain
in the manufacture of iron and steel,
and now manufactures and sells as
cheaply as Great Britain.
Germany, which until the adoption of
q protective policy exported vast quanti-
ties Of grain, now finds home market
for her home produce; the United States,
which once had little other business
than that of supplying Britain with
''cheap wheat for its cheap laborers,
now finds home market for all but
three per cent. of its farm products, and
for sll but nine per cent. of its food
products. While land continually is re-
lapsing to grass in England, new areas
of grain continually are being planted
in America. While England's greatest
statistician is declaring that 'longer
hours, fewer holidays and less ex-
pensive style of living" must be adopted
to secure the retention Of such "mar-
kets Of the world" as are left to her,
American laborers are demanding an
eight-hour day, legal holidays are in
creasing in number, and the latest re-
port of the Commissioner of the Bureau
of Labor Statistics shows an increase of
wages in most trades.-Chicago Inter
Ocean.