Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-05-21
sEHIGH PRICES AND PLENTY.''
The Consumer Who Does Not Produce is
IA Free Trader.


IA Free Trader.
Sir James Kitson, president of the Brit
ish Iron and Steel institute and himself
one of the greatest producers Of iron ard
steel in The United Kingdom Of Great
Britain and Ireland, has been contribut-
in to the education of the British people
on sound notions of political economy by
assuring them that mo matter whether
so-calted free trade or protection carry the
day IN the United States, that country is
destined to become great manufacturer
of iron and steel" OF course, the produc-
ton of American iron and steel would be
retarded and diminished by a return to
anything approaching to a free-trade
policy, Just as surely as it has been made d
great industry by protection. The value
Of Sir James speech is in its directing the
mind of English workmen to the success
Of the American policy of protection to the
producing powers OF people
There is a vigorous course Of political
education in progress In England just now
For example, "Leaflet No. w." Of the
Fair League Of Great Britain has this to
say:
The free traders tell us that we must
legislate for the consumer. But we must
do nothing Of the kind. We must legiS-
late for the producer The free trade fall
lacy assumes that the consumers personal
interest is the true social criterion 1t is
a self-evident faIlacy None of US lives to
himself in the true social system. More
over, the faIacy assumes that because ali
people are consumers, while only most Of
the people are producers, legislation for
consumers is legislation for the good of all.
But the true ground of the question is:
Can there be consumption without prevl-
ous production? The very old, and very
young, the very rich. the very poor, none
of whom produce anything, all consume
something. But the old law, as set down
in that straL oe old book, the Bible, says:
J eff a man work not neither let him eat "
But free trade cheapens to him who does
not work and lessons the wages of him
who does work.
This has sound of American protection
to producers. Leafet No VI. Of the same
league quotes thus. from Allison s History
of Europe"
High prices and plenty" says Adam
Smith, ARE prosperity; low prices and
scarcity are misery"
The American free trader never quotes
this protective admission from the pages
OF the founder of the English free trade
school, The English fair traders are turn
ing 1t against the Enelis free traders.
But continuing to quote from Alison S
history, leaaet No. VI. says:
1T is to no purpose, says DR.. Johnson
(writing a century ago., Ito tell ne that
eggs are a cent a dozen in Scotland. It
does not prove that eggs are plentiful, but
| that money is scarce.
Eggs are worth twelve times as much in
Scotland to-day, and they are twelve times
more eggs laid in Scotland now than a
century ago. Eggs are dearer because
more people are able to buy them. ''Legis-
lation for consumers as sucn /. e. for such
the leahet, lis class legislation of the
trath set on its travels throu h England
trade gospel of cheapness.
1t always Is the consumer who does
not produce" that demands free trade
The man who produces wheat wants to be
protected. Sometimes he is unjus-
enough to demand that iron shall not be
protected, because he does not produce
iron. He who produces wool wishes it TO
be protected, but sometimes he is UNI ust
enough to ask that salt shall not be pro-
tected. because he does not produce salt.
But always it is he who does not produce
that protests again. Protection, however,
should be universal, If iron were not
protected the purchasing power Of the
iron men who buy wheat would be limited
and the price of wheat lessened; if wheat
were not protected the purchasing power
of the farmer who buys the iron would be
lessened. As Adam Smith well put it,
high prices and plenty are prosperity,
low prices and scarcity are misery