Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-12-08
FREE TRADE HOOTED
By the English Conference Of Farm
ers, Which Also Votes For
FREE GOLD AND SILVER COINAGE.
An Out and Cut Protection Plank Carried
by Big Majority.
ADVICE TO THE MONETARY DELEGATES

ADVICE TO THE MONETARY DELEGATEI
LONDON, Dec THE National Agri
cultural Conference, called to direct publ
attention in an emphatic way to the presen
grave condition of agricultural affairs, me
this morning. Five hundred delegate
from over $50 agricultural associations wer
present. The Marquis of HuDtley and man.
members of the House of Commons ais
attended.
James Lowther, M. p, made the opening
address. Right Hon. Henry ChapliI
moved the adoption of resolution, declar
ing that the critical condition ofagricultur'
Is a matter of national concern. Lout
cheers greeted an allusion to protection q
the remedy favored by many persons, bu
Mr.. Chaplin said that any proposal to re
turn to protection, which included duty
upon food, would meet with certain defeat
The resolution, which was very general il
its character, its substance being tina
means should be found for arresting tht
depression, was adopted.
Bi-MetallIsm the Needed Remedy.
Mr.. Chaplin declared that foreign com
petition is not the only cause for the fall il
prices of agricultural products The CON
tinuous rise in the value of gold is quite al
serious a cause. The immediate remedy
for that would be return to bi-metallism,
in regard to which. he added, the statement
on the subject recently made by Archbishop
Walsh was the most convincing ever pub
lished. Mr.. Chaplin said he earnestly
hoped the conference would adopt the prin.
ciple of bi-metallism.
The Earl of Winchelsea and Nottingham
suggested the formation of union of land.
lords and tenants. He offered to give g..
900 to assist in the formation of such q
union. His suggestion was adopted.
William Saunders, Radical member of
Parliament, attempted to denounce protec-
tion, but was hooted down. He then at
tempted to offer an amendment to Mr..
Chaplin.s resolution, declaring that the fall
in prices of agricultural products is the
natural result of improved methods OF pro-
duction, but the conference would have
none of the amendment and refused to allow
it to be put to vote.
Free Trade Speakers Howled Down.
Francis Smith, member of the London
County Council, made q short address, in
the course of which he remarked that re-
barity. This statement was greeted with
boots and yells, which were so long con-
tinued that Mr.. Smith retired to his seat.
Mr.. Nethersole, a farmer delegate, pro-
posed a resolution affirming that the unfair
competion of untaxed foreign imports with
home produce is an injustice that calls for
immediate removal, and that, therefore, all
competing imports ought to pay a duty not
less than the rates and taxes levied on
home produce.
Mr.. Bear moved as an amendment that
the conference defer the question of protec-
tion, as 1t Is likely to create divisions, and
press forward the questions on which the
conference is likely to prove unanimous.
Robert Armstrong Yerburgh (Conserva-
tlve), member of Parliament for Chester,
seconded MI. Bears amendment. He held
that the adoption of protection would drive
the farmers into two separate camps. Mr..
Francis, an advanced Liberal member of
Parliament, strongly opposed protection in
any form.
Going the Whole Hog on Protection.
Robert Jasper Moore (Liber.l Unionist),
member of Parliament for the Ludlow
division of Shropshire, advocated the plac-
ing Of tariff of 10 shillings on imported
American wheat Philip Albert Muntz, q
Conservative member of Parliament, con-
tended that all the manufactures and indus
tries of the country are suffering from
foreign competition, and he declared that
in the interest of all classes he would 60
the whole hog" on protection. This ex-
preston was greeted with great applause.
Several other speakers made addresses in q
similar strain.
Mr.. Nethersole's resolution was finally
adopted by large majority.
Robert Lacy Everett, Liberal member
of Parliament, moved resolution, declar-
ing that in the opinion of the conference
the continuous fall in prices which is so in
furious to the agricultural interests is
largely due to the appreciation of gold and
the fall in exchange between gold and sill
yer, and that the best and most effective
remedy would be secured bv an agreement
on broad international basis to reopen the
mints of the leading nations to the unre-
stricted coinage of silver and gold. The
resolution urged that the British Govern
ment be earnestly requested to cooperate
with the other Governments represented at
the Monetary Conference now sitting in
Brussels to secure such an international
agreement
The Free Coinage Resolution Adopted.
Mr.. Everett contended that there had
been only q small tall In prices since free
trade was established and made COM
parison with the prices prevailing during
the period preceding the establishment of
free trade. He therefore concluded that
the fall is not due to free trade, but, he
added, the policy of protecting gold had
raised the price of that metal 30 per cent
above the value it previously held with re-
gard to silver. Captain Symonds, in Sec
onding Mr.. Everett's motion, said it is un-
foir that the British be exposed to the
cheap labor of India and other countries
while the Rothschilds are protected to the
extent of 80 per cent on their gold.
Mr.. Fowler, Kentish farmer, moved as
an amendment to Mr. Everett's motion that
the conference has no faith in any changes
in the law regarding the currency as rem
edy for agricultural distress Mr.. Fowlr's
were strongly disapproyed of by
the audience, and several other speakers
who supported the amendments met with a
bad reception.
Mr.. Chaplin closed the debate by declar-
ing that the owners Of gold do not approve
the motion, because the more gold appre-
ciated the better it is for them. Gold, he
added, has appreciated in value since silver
was kicked out in 1878. throwing greater
demand on gold. 1t Is curious coinci-
dence that since 1873 the world has been
prolonged and serious de-
preston in every industry, for which no
other reason could be assigned
The resolutions were then carried, there
being few dissenters
AN AUTOPSY ON REINACH