New-York tribune., 1891-04-29
THE TORRy or GREAT BRITAIN.


countries than to their own will find some salts
faction in the letter OF William j. HafhS u
"The London Economist" entitled ITO" -
Beat Foreign Tariffs" Answering criticisms OF
nreyious letters, he says in The Economist OF
April 49,: u..u. ,o,. =, our
am afraid that the more Intelligent nan VI oi
popu,aon arc quite unaware of the magh'uuo Vi uio
auesttop and how very much Is dependent OH oui
,n,Iv exerting our influence for our own protection
rho action already taken By the United states anu
about IN he taken by France, really means that we arc
N no deprived for the future Of all chance Oh
~most favored nation treatment Ill tho h'IAo' "a W
world These two nations are arranging 70 sro 'P0,i~
advantages to nations whlch acooIu " "'O
treatment over ourselves . ~
NO have seen how It Is telling against us IN tie
action which the United states has adopted toward nr
z we are about to the custom oil one VI our O'
important colonial possessions (B1tsh Nor'h A'i'"
transferred, unless we can oiier speclal
rrevcnt IT, Proposals will be made to tho west lhuie'
IN follow in the same course and all the oou'n
can Republics will have Inducements HUN 0"' ~
TO follow the example Of Brazil
Mr.. Harris explains that even the minimum
duties proposei by the French Government
"would be wel-nigh prohibitory, and these VIII
not prevcnt their bargaining with other nations
for preferential treatment over ourselves.
The position is most serious" I'D cloSllS' "0
sovs. "There are ample reasons for endeavor-
ing first to coerce the United States ana rance
seeing that they are at present the iloSU d.
oressiye countries" This is quite dlIerehe
strain from that sung by some British states.
men and journals when the Mckinney Iafli
was enacted. Then they protessed to DeheNo
that il would be a great blessing to Great Brlt-
oin Now there are men Of recognized aDlllty
IN ENGLAND who warn that country that IL Will
bavo 70 resort 10 Protection also, or be OUT
strippcd in the commercial and industrial race
Mr. Hariss plan is to charge moderate du'leS
on all imports other than raw materiaiS Oh man
ufactnra coming from other countries, when
will result in great customs union OF the brit
ish Empire, he thinks "pnceS OF tood ra'her
bicher. and manufactured articles OF the hlgher
dos also rather dearer" lie thinks this
would "coerceo the United States, and prob
ably France also. But tolerably high duties
have been exacted by France for years on I'M
norris Of breadstuffs without materially affecting
this country. Is there even the veslge oil a
reason for believing that Great Britain "ouiu
not be compelled to buy quite as much "hea'
from the United States as that country now
buys and to pay its own duty
The certainty that Great britain VIII hot
resort to any such measure does not make IL
the less worth while to consider what It's results
might be for this country. The United States
is increasing in population at the rate Oh
600 900 yearly. and so adding about o,OOO,-
| 600 bushels yearly TO its consumption OF Wheat
But the country would increase even faster IN
population if British laws should make iood
dearer in Great Britain. Ii would not be at
all surprising to see a large immigration OF
skilled and industrious workers from that c0un-
try in any case during the coming year, in con-
| nection with the numerous establishments which
the tariff is tranSplanun2 from EngliSh 10
American SOIL recent dispatch noticed the
large 4 lut emigration from Liverpool last week,
and that these immigrants we're OF superior
class. accustomed to the comforts Of life, many
of them mechanics who had been induced to
settle in America in connection with the eStab-
lishment of British mills and factories in this
country. If Great Britain wants to multiply
this exodus it has only to make food appreciably
dearer for workers.
American farmers can we'll afford to nave
these consumers come across the ocean to this
country. where they will consume American
wheat exclusively. As it Is they consume rough
~ n bushel OF British wheat, and another Of
Russian or other foreign wheat, for every bushel
Of American wheat. If the consumer is worth
70 the American market one bushel OR 81 while
remaining over there he would be worth three
bushels or SO when transported here as respects
wheat alone. to say nothing of corn, beef, hogs
and sundry other farm products which he will
have 10 consume. 1t would not terriiy the farm
ers of this country much to have few million
Rr;tisb artisans driven over here by British
legislation. but nothing so foolish as Mr. Harriss
remedy will be attempted.