The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1896-05-15

213, 600 a year. Ours increased at thu
rate of $271, 229, 600 year Therefore
upon the free trade theory our larger an
nual increase of imports was more ad.
vantageous to us than the smaller Brit.
ish increase. In the matter of exports
their annual increase was $127, 626, 00C
year. as against our increase Of 1897,
$40, 900 a year. Therefore, according to
the policy Of protection, our export trade
was more advantageous than that of
England.
But the real test of trade lies in its
extent according to population. AL
though an excessive import trade is, ac-
cording to free trade theory, so wonder
fully beneficial, yet the British import
trade declined 81. "a per capita during
the quarter of century, while ours in
creased by 10 cents per capita. The
British export trade decreased by So per
capita, while ours decreased by ~ cents
only per capita. Had our export figures
for 1892 been taken there would be an
increase, not q decrease, in our per CAPT.
ia Of exports. British foreign trade has
declined Sc. "a per capita of population
under free trade since 1870; American
foreign trade has practically held it's
own under protection. Now let us look
at some other statistics:
POPULATION
British. United States.
1894. ............,.,,.....38,7 70,000 6S, GOO
1876. ..........,...,....33 093, 439 45, 1877 900
Increase ................ 5,6s5,56l %, 900
NATIONAL DEBT.
British United States.
1875 ..........."..$388 1884, S52,720 81, 7lO,6S5 $50
1894 .............. 8,345, $40, 100 635, 04l, 800
Decrease ......... $3.50, 1892 600 $1,075, Gas, $50
DEBT PER CAPITA.
British. United States.
1894. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 90 $13 IL
During the quarter of century Brit.
ish population increased by only 5, $685., =
SCI persons. Ours increased by 90, 1873, =
600 persons, or more than four times as
much.
Z The British national debt was de-
creased by $3.50, $4,000; ours by dou-
BILE that amount-$1, O75, 643, $50. The
British debt in 1894 was $50 per capita I;
ours was $13. II per capita. Next take
the statistics of wealth:
British. United States.
1875. $40, 7a0 000, 900 So, 06S SIS, 507
lseo.............. 47,0OO,oOO,Oo 65,oS7, 0ol, 1877
Increase. 81, 200 600, OO) 1874, $685. 572. 600
British wealth has increased by 81
$50, 000 900 in the quai ter Of a century.
American wealth increased more than
eight times as much-by $50, 900, 000,-
900.
Another comparison shows that where
there was al increase of TT, 401 in the
total number cf hands employed in all
British textile industries from 1870 to
1890, the increase was 236, 954 in the
United Satisfactorily showing the
more rapid progress Of our textile in
dustries under protection, the wages
paid here having doubled in 90 years
from $50, 1856, 191 year in 1870 to
S173, 547, 343 in 1890
Plenty more comparisons could be
instituted, but these are sufficient to
show that if free trade has been good
policy for the United Kingdom, then
protection has been a very much better
policy for the United States In conclu-
sion we might ask If this had not been
the case, why have 2,956, 900 British
immigrants come to the United States
-28. so per cent of our total immigra-
tion-between 1870 and 1906?
CHARLES r. BUoKLAND.