The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-05-27
SALISBURY SICK OF FREE TRADE.

sAAlSBUkf SICK OF FHEE TRADE.
The strongest acknowledgment of the
soundness of the American policy of pro-
lection is Lord Salisbury's recent confess
sion that the free traders had gone too far.
For fifteen years past there has been
fair trade movement in England. In 1887
a Fair Trade League was formed to prevent
the extension of the French Golden treaty,
which expired in that year. Under that
treaty English imports of raw silk had
fallen from 100000 pounds in 1871 to g.
100000 in 1881, and the number engaged In
the silk industry had fallen one-half. Mr..
Gladstone, at Leeds, October s, 1881, adj
mitted that England was paying sos, co.,
600 annually for manufactures. mostly
French, which might be made at home.
Mr.. Luter, of Bradford, placed the loss of
silk-workers' wages under the treaty at
s250.OOo 900 to $500, 100000. Not one third
as many gloves were making in England
as when the treaty was ratified, and
its effect on land was seen in 900, 600 acres
which had gone out of cultivation.
This fair trade movement is supported
by the friends of imperial federation, who
demand customs tariff under which
Great Britain and her colonies would ex-
tend each other reciprocal privileges, and
by the manufacturers who cited the pres
encs Of French yarns in England, and the
destruction of the silk industries of Cow
entry, the importation of Belgian steel
beams and of German sugar, the appear
ance of cheap clothing from the Cont
nent, and the entry of cheap Norwegian
and Swedish steamers in English ports as
proof Of the worlds successful COMPETE
ton in field where England adopted free
trade because English manufacturers were
believed able to undersell all others. In
stead, from 1855 to 1856, the exports of
British production rose only from $277,-
800. 900 to 1906, 500 600, or less than four
fold, while the imports of foreign manu-
featured products rose from So, 500, 600 to
$500, 900 900. or nearly six-fold.
Every year England imports an increas-
ing proportion of her food; every year
larger inroads are made by foreign manu-
features upon the English markets at
home and abroad. Canada asks for re-
ciprocal trade with England; so does
Australia and Cape Town. With increased
purchase of foreign food and falling ex-
ports because of diminished purchase Of
English manufactures abroad no wonder
Lord Salisbury begins to speak favor
ably of reciprocity and to confess that the
tree traders have gone too far, and vet
Lord Salisbury admits that Great Britain
cannot "levy retaliatory duties on food
and raw materials, therefore we cannot
touch America, who is the worst offender"
Ten years ago the sugar growers of the
English island of Barbados complained
TO the British parliament that their ex-
ports TO England had been ruined by
German beet sugar, just rs the twenty
sugar refneries on the Thames had been
reduced to one and the sugar trade at
Bristol had been wiped ont. Under free
trade the English imports Of West Indian
sugar have fallen into decline, while the
imports from Austria alone in ten wears
have risen from 900. 900 tons to 100. obO
tons; and today the British West Indies
looks to reciprocity with the United States
as their only hope to market their sugar
at profit. Free trade has made England
vast workshop peopled by Ill paid
operatives and commercial milionaires.
The mischief is wrought, and it
is too late for England to help
herself. Her capacity to raise
her own food is gone, never to return ::
England is a land of great manufacturing
cities and impoverished rural districts.
The great trading nations of the world
have adopted protective tariffs, which ex-
clude English goods from their markets,
while they lood England with their own
closed and both her prices and her profits
| falling.
| For this condition of oveSgrown English
manufactures, wrought by operatives that
| live on imported food, aud needing the
| markets of the world for relief. Lord Sails
| bury suggests the remedy of reciprocity
| with Germany, Austria-Hungary. Italy
and Belgium, coupled with diifereptial
rate against France. But this scheme of
reciprocity would do Canada no good, fog
Lord Salisbury does not pretend for mo-
ment that IL would lie wise 10 raise the
price of food and raw materials, and there
fore, it was not practicable to exclude the
! products OF the United States.
| Lord Sallshury's language is as follows
| We complain most of the Uuitei States. and
IL so happens that TIE Cnitei states rnaia.sl ms
aud furnishes Us Win Articles " hIch ere essen.