The Somerset reporter., 1890-05-15

The EFFECT THY WOULD HAVE
UPON OUR COMMERCE.

THE EFFECT THY WOULD HAVE
UPON OUR COMMERCE.
Practicable Tebds to specialization Of In
dustry Free Raw Material. Would BE
of No Advantage, but a De.ided Dis
advantage.
Commerce differ from other IL ustries
in that il depends upon. Or exist N az
count gf the relation IL one another Il
other Industries IT. ofiiCr- j. not u
produce. in the sense Of changing the
form of materials 1t only change Their
place 1t j. wrong b. identify commerce
with trade hetween nations. Professor
r +. Phpmpson defines commerce clearly
when he SAYS that il Is the Interchange
Of services OF d commodities between
persons or group Of different industrial
functions"
In rude industrial state where one
individual is engaged il doing what il
higher industrial STATE l. divided mt
several distinct occupations. there can
be no active commerce but commerce
arises and increases with the division af
labor attendant upon varied industry.
With the specialization among workss~
and the subdivisions within industries.
the industrial function # each indi-
yilual i, narrowed, and with this nar
rowing Of Ia industrial function his do
mand for the services and commoditIe-
a others l. increased.
IT, by reason Of the creation Of new
interests itssny seeiion, "a In1re varlef
industry is established. a renewed actiy-
ity will show itself III the conduct q
commerce
1t i undoubtedly true that L all the
claims made by Free-tTaier- in reference
to production are valid free raw mat
rials will increase the amount # OCEAN
transportation: and il i but fair 20 sup
pose that under system # Frc--trade
the foreign commerce would I've greater
than AT present The increased iinI,jrta-
lions from other countric-. resulting
from policy Of Free-trade. would &C
casion increased activity III foreign ship
ping The carrying trade Of the world
i now in the hands of England. In lS~2
the total earning. If all countries arising
from shipping amounted III round mum
berS to $,i6j. 10000 OF thi~ sum British
ships received $36S .ooo Dou. or - pr
cent. The United STATE, received $50
600 ,ooo or less than 20 per cent.
When We add to this statement the
fact that three-fourths Of the tonnage =
the United States Is engaged in the coast
wise and fishery trade and thu remain
ing me-fourth in the CARRYING trade we
can see how small fraction Of any in.
creased activity in the carrying trade
would come to the United States ANY
fiscal policy We might adopt which tends
to increase oceanic commerce would be
of direct benefit Ia the commercial inter.
c-ts'of England On account II her more
efficient merchant marine. Il matters
not for our present puIp'~e what is the
reason of her superiority on the sea, but
it could be readily traced in great
measure to subsidies and the lower wa -
of her seainen. our policy # Protec ton,
which offers Ia all industries the condi-
tion> of successful production. and to la
Dor the highest possible rewards insure
a healthy commercial activity within tn
| United States,
If there is one fact which has been g.
tablished as the result ot sound economic
investigation tits that under thu modern
development Of industry the greatest
measure Of welfare 10 our nati ~ cannot
he secured without varied or divcrSi-
fed industry. With our present polula-
| ton we are a nation Of SOM twenty
millions Of workers. All these differ il
/ their capacities and tastes. Some ar
not productive when engaged i'll agricul-
ture Others will not find their full de-
veloplncnt outside the mines and fac
tories The diversficatiun Of industry
which offers 10 each the opportunity Of
the greatest development and production
that the natural limitations Of his facul-
ties permit will give us the highest de
velopment and largest production a a
nation. We want TO see something like
IA balanced union Of the four great IN
| dustries.
Ii is not To be supposed that these will
grow equally, for conditions Will cause
IA greater extension of one than Of an
other. But 1t can be expected that
through wise Protection industries which
aie fairly capable Of permanent prosper
ity may be offered favorable conditions
of development, With a policy Of Free
trade one industry grows and another
languishes The on industry which
possesses the greatest relative advantages
over that industry among other trading
nations will he developed and others neg
lected.
1t is possible that in some countries.
under certain conditions. this may be
best These conditions do not exist in
tine United States today. These parts Of
the United States which have the most
| varied industry show higher ANIMAL in
come 10 the farmer and greater returns
to farm lahorers Some sections OF our
country, notably the south. i'll which a
single industry has been dominant have
not acquired the wealth which has come
to other sections, nor is the wealth 50
widely distributed. These sections. with
rich mineral deposits and extensive for
r,ts. have chung ~ agriculture and neg
lectel their other resources. Those who
look for new south. If they find it at
all. viii ind it upon the basis Of new
industrial organization. brought about
largely 10y the Protection afforded 10 her
raw materials
If the principles of Free-trade be true
and final, an encouraging prospect Is not
presented to worklngneu. England has
practically Frre-trade and her laborcrs
in the factories and i'll the mines get mis-
cradle wages which compel the adoption
of low standard of living Her farmers
are not prosperous, and the Irish peas
antry, who prospred in their own coun-
try under protection, and now prosper in
ours. fare even worse. In 1850. with n
population of 5000 600, England had
$50. 900 paupers ana many more on the
verge of pauperism. The United States
i'll lsSo, with 4 population OF 100000,
had s. 600 paupers.
The whole argument of Free trade is
that, by directing our energy 10 the pro
duction of those articles which we are
especially adapted TO produce, We can
buy those articles which we need and do
not produce with a less expenditure of
labcr and capital than if we We're to try
| TO produce them ourselves Freetrade,
then. tends to national specialization of
| industry. Protection tends TO national
diversiticaton of industry.
with a perfectly Free-trade,' says
l