, 1921-08-22

any articles not mentioned in the first resolution
which the board Of trade under the act will have the
power to specify on the ground that such articles are
being vended in the United Kingdom at prices below
them production cost, or below what they can profit
ably be produced for in the United Kingdom. The
power to protect British industries is thus placed in
the hands OF a commission, a method prohibited in
this country by the Constitution and one which though
speedy of application may be subject to grave abuse.
rms change OF policy on the part Of Britain does
not come as a surprise TO those who have watched the
trend of events. The restoration of the protective
policy, agitation for which has been more or less fit
full since 1876. reached its height during the war.
when 1t appeared to have a majority support among
the British people. The system of imperial prefer
enees adopted to apply to trade between the mother
country and her colonial possessions soon after the
close Of the war. was but a herald of the British in
tentlon to restore the protective policy.
The Napoleonie wars 1793-1s15, which enabled
Great Britain to drive every continental rival from
the sea and gain absolute control of the foreign COM
merce of the world, the displacement of hand labor
by machinery, British navigation laws, all combined
to convince British manufacturers of the Importance
of propagandizing for universal free trade, and the
poor harvest of 1885 and 1910 accentuated this feel
ing. The policy of protection had been practiced for
the purpose of building up the industries of England
and making her the greatest manufacturing centrs in
the world" says Curtiss. This had been accom-
plished. The whole scheme was entered upon for the
purpose of inducing other countries to bandon pro-
tective tariffs. and open their markets to the free ad-
mission of British wares" at is well worth while, >"
said Lord Brougham, in 1916, "to incur loss upon the
hrst expectation, in order. by the glut, to stihe in the
cradle those rising manufactures in the United States.
which the war has forced into existence, contrary to
the natural course of things" Free trade with Great
Britain meant freedom to enter the markets of other
countries.
The year 1899 witnessed the birth of the Anti-Corn
Law League, and the beginning of Cobdenism, Golden
himself being a manufacturer intent on finding free
foreign markets and confident of Great Britain's abil-
ity to undersell the world in manufactured goods. On
day 26, 1886, came the repeal of the corn laws and
he abandonment of the protective policy. One OBJ
Jeet Of the free traders was "the determination of the
tenant farmers of England" declared Isaac Butt, Q.
c. in 1851, and in 1854 the Anti-Corn Law League
declared: After ages of prescriptive right our farm
srs have to contend for existencs. That command Of
The British market which they have hitherto secured
by unjust laws. they must now secure by superior en-
ergy, or abandon it to their rivals" The fact that
Great Britain. if blocknded would starve in six weeks
Indicates what her farmers realized from free trade.
The return of Great Britain to protection will be a
Jolt to the free traders of this country who have so
frequently pointed to her as a shining example of
that policy.