The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-11-23
BY JOHN p. YOUNG.

I OF coal In Great Britain in less than 20
| years was pursued for the purpose OF
| procuring food. a large part OF which
might have been raised Oh British soil.
and ask yourself what economic defence
| can be urged to indefence OF the policy
which approves the eager exchange OF ir-
| repaceable commodities like coal and
| iron, for those which. like wheat and
meat may be produced practically at
will
The net result OF the British policy OF
forcing out has been vast and consequent
dearness. No matter what may he the
apparent gains OF the United Kingdom.
she has been making a steady economic
loss by impairing her future industrial
possibilities. True economy demands the
conservation of her coal and iron; pseudo
economists have taught her 10 believe that
the shortest road to prosperity is TO get
rid of them as rapidly as possible.
Protection has interposed barrier TO
the self-destruction of the British. Had
high tariffs not served the purpose OF
stimula ting the production OF coal ana
iron I'm other countries Great Britain
would have been much nearer to- the end
OF her resources than she Is at present.
She now imports millions OF tons Of iron
ores annually 10 eke out her constantly
diminishing supply: her mines would prob
ably have become entirely barren by
indeed. the effect of failure of lands now
supplying themselves with iron TO utilize
their own resources would have dlmin-
ished it's use to such an extent that Brit
ain could have continued To indefinitely
dole out small quantities TO the rest OF
the world.
There are some the evil consequences
OF the wsatefulness attendant upon sys-
tenn which disregards the fact that true
demands
of the farm and factory. The full ex
tent OF the waste can be realized. how
ever, only by attentively studying the
evidence which shows that the major part
of the cost of products TO consumers is
that which Is added by the carriers and
the middlemen In the efforts 90 undo the
III effects OF injudicious concentration
OF population I'm parts OF tho world remote
from the sources OF the food supply aad
raw material
In dealing with the subject OF transpor-
tation the British statistician, Mulhall
developed some interesting facts which
show conclusively that the world is vast
ing more energy In carrying things TO
and fro than II is devotng 10 the work OF
production. After presenting his data he
sums up with these words:
IL appears, therefore. that 40 per cent OF
the working power OF the world is used
for production and GO per cent for trans
portation or distribution, which is exactly
the reverse OF the ratios I'm 1s40.
IL needs but little Imagination TO picture
the better results which would follow II
the world should use 60 per cent OF it's
energy In production and 40 per cent I'm
transportation and distribution. The lat
ter processes add value TO things pro-
duced. but II must always be kept In
mind that they do not add anything to
the quantity OF things produced
traa IN Af.lh hn NJ
persons engaged In transportation I'm the
United Kingdom the European continent,
MES In lS?t was S.640.000. Whatever pro-
represents the unnecessary movement of
the fuel and iron expended In the process
and also whatever is exacted by the un-
necessary middleman
The cost to the consumer is increased by
the amount of this waste That much OF
IL can be dispensed with ought to be
clearly apparent to all familiar with the
fact that the world seems disposed TO
make its Industrial systems fit with the
tendencies OF population to congest
Protection Is counteracting this ten
dency, and by attracting people to the
sources of supply II tends to eliminate
waste The bringing OF factory and farm
together is doing more to make things
accessible to mankind than any other
cause. II directs the energies OF mankind
into the fields OF productivity instead OF
frittering II away I'm wasteful carriage,
thus producing that genuine cheapness
whose test is increased ability TO con-
sumo.