The silver state news. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1907-1909, 1909-02-23
PRESENT INDUSTRIAL DEPRES
SION BLAMED TO FREE TRADE
Large British Battleship Fleet May
Visit Pacific Coast During the
Present Summer

otA
LONDON, Feb. 13.-The Unionist
party is losing no opportunity to make
political capital out of the fact that 50
many laborers are at present unem
ployed. A late estimate places the
number of skilled workers who are
idle at 10 per cent of the whole mum
Der, while the percentage of the idle
among unskilled laborers is even great
err. 1t is the most serious situation
with which the British government has
been confronted in many years. and the
Asquith ministry seems wholly incap-
able of coping with it.
Poor relief has been resorted to, N
while this fills stomachs that otherwise
would be empty, it only aggravates the
situation. In some instances public
works are being pushed earlier than
thew otherwise would for the sake of
the employment they furnish, but this,
az one economist points out, is robbing
tomorrow for the needs of today, and
unless an effective remedy is found
tomorrow's needs will be greater than
today's.
The plain and simples truth is that
British industry is languishing: it is
sick. and the doctors attending the
patient have not been able even to
agree on n diagnosis, to say rothing OF
effecting a cure. The Unionists de-
clare that industry is starved as the
result of a generation of free 'rade
diet. and that the need is for the more
substantial food of protection. Tie
growth of industry in the Unite.
States and Germany is pointed to rs an
example of remarkable growth as the
result of three square meals n day
which protection affords. The Job
donites, on the other hand, insist that
protection is not a food but a stimu-
liant, and they intimate that the indus
trial energy of the United States ami
Germany does not result from vigor-
GUS health but from intox'eation.
There are multiplying signs that the
issue will be carried to the county at
no distant day. There are those who
believe a general election cannot be
DELAYED more than a few months. To
meet the growing deficit, additional
revenues have got to be raised by adj
ditional taxation. and the %couatrs now
awaits the forthcoming budget pro-
posals of Mr.. Lloyd George, the chan
cellor of exchequer. There is pressing
need for adding fifty or seventy five
millions of dollars to the annual inc me
and the average Britisher feels now
that he is pretty heavily taxed, though
he has to admit his let is much better
than that of the subjects of most con
t~inental powers.
The by-elections of the past year
have indicated that a trend of opifion
favorable to a protective tariff, with
its indirect taxation, inc the Unioa-
lists profess to be ready at any time TO
make a campaign on that issue. They
cannot force a general election, of
course, so long as the Liberal ministry
is able to maintain its parliamentary
majority; bat as the present minority
never was a compact one and has hoen
perilously near dissolution at times
during the past year, the eager Uri9n-
lists may not have long to wait.
The Pacific coast of the United
States is likely, during the coming sum
mer, to have opportunity of entertain
ing an enormous Hcct of British war
ships. The admiralty now has unde~
advisement plans tpf sending a meet
to the Pacific, and If it does so head
quarters will be at Esquimalt, Van
eouver Island.
If a fleet is sent It viii be a big one,
bigger probably than the one which
under Admiral Sperry has reached
the end of its Journey around the
world. England could not afford to
make a naval disply less impressive
than that made by the United States
for if the fleet is sent to the Pacific It
win visit the Orient and Antipodes,
where the impression has been created
that America has about the biggest
thing extant in the way of a navy.
A British fleet rendezvouzing at
Vancouver would certainly pay o visit
A. Vv-.4ol Cka&l- 0.thow 20 pttraf