The free trade movement and its results

Armitage-Smith George 1844?-1923

Description

I )U - 5^ irri MfFOS*^. — ^0FCAIIF0% "UFOi 30 •t'AQvaaiJ'a^' 'UAQvaair: mmwx^^lUBRARYO^ ^•UBRARYa^;^ ^m^Wm ^OFCAUfOft^ >v^t^ ^ 'V^ f. ^(?A«vaani"^ "^^Aavaan-^ ^i^dnvsoi'^ >723,ooo 52,792,000 Butter, Cheese, and Eggs, 25,480,000 26,926,000 Lard and Milk, 4,025,000 3,440,000 Fruit and Hops, ... 2,728,0002,033,000 Potatoes, Onions, and other Vegetabh 3,144,000 2,874,000 Poultry and Game, 605,000 605,000 Wool (sheep and lambs), 26,026,000 24,958,000 Other Articles, 4,618,000 4,801,000 ;^i48,382,ooo ;^i54,3is,ooo machinery into farming", by which means two men can do as much as three formerly, accounts for some reduc- tion in the amount of the fact remains thatlabour; but a larg-e part of our food supply is now obtained from abroad in manufactured g^oods ; farm-exchange for our ing has become less profitable than other industries, and has during decline. Thethe past twenty years tended to questionwe have to consider is whether Protection would provide a remedy for depressed agriculture. After the repeal of the Corn-laws until about 1876 agriculture flourished, more land was brought under cultivation, increas-farmers prospered, and rents rose; ing population, thriving manufactures, and growing agriculturalcommerce created a greater demand for produce ; the standard of living- advanced considerably, and classes who had subsisted mainly on bread and veg-etables large consumers ofbecame comparatively meat, milk, butter, and cheese.

Sujets

• Free trade
• Tariff

Informations

• Publié par: les_archives_du_savoir
• Nombre de lectures: 4
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 11 Mo

Extrait

v^t^ ^ 'V^ f. ^(?A«vaani"^ "^^Aavaan-^ ^i^dnvsoi'^ >723,ooo 52,792,000 Butter, Cheese, and Eggs, 25,480,000 26,926,000 Lard and Milk, 4,025,000 3,440,000 Fruit and Hops, ... 2,728,0002,033,000 Potatoes, Onions, and other Vegetabh 3,144,000 2,874,000 Poultry and Game, 605,000 605,000 Wool (sheep and lambs), 26,026,000 24,958,000 Other Articles, 4,618,000 4,801,000 ;^i48,382,ooo ;^i54,3is,ooo machinery into farming", by which means two men can do as much as three formerly, accounts for some reduc- tion in the amount of the fact remains thatlabour; but a larg-e part of our food supply is now obtained from abroad in manufactured g^oods ; farm-exchange for our ing has become less profitable than other industries, and has during decline. Thethe past twenty years tended to questionwe have to consider is whether Protection would provide a remedy for depressed agriculture. After the repeal of the Corn-laws until about 1876 agriculture flourished, more land was brought under cultivation, increas-farmers prospered, and rents rose; ing population, thriving manufactures, and growing agriculturalcommerce created a greater demand for produce ; the standard of living- advanced considerably, and classes who had subsisted mainly on bread and veg-etables large consumers ofbecame comparatively meat, milk, butter, and cheese." />

I )U
- 5^
irri
MfFOS*^. <^55ttlfNIVK%. ^IC
\
J ? 1 i!;:S^S iC^
IS
AV** ^OJUVOJO"^ ^OJUVJ-JO"^ '^J'ilJDNVSOl^ %a]
irtw .AP.rAMCAD^. .ACrAitcnn.. .«iic.tmn/[Dr<w'JJUJNVMJr ^/oaiAimidn>
—
^0FCAIIF0% "UFOi
30
•t'AQvaaiJ'a^' 'UAQvaair:
mmwx^^lUBRARYO^ ^•UBRARYa^;^ ^m^Wm
^OFCAUfOft^
>v^t^ ^ 'V^
f.
^(?A«vaani"^ "^^Aavaan-^ ^i^dnvsoi'^
<5ME'UNIVER% ^i^AHcar
^5WFUNIVFR% ^lOSANCaO^ wiAuri
4'
5
u^
^QiaoNvsov^ ^aMiiiiian* ^^Asvaan^ ^^Aiivaan-3
-^l•UBRARYa^. ^UBRARYQc «^^UNIVERS{jt ^IDSANCfU..
<:
^.
I
'^^WinvDW^ ^mjnn-jo'^
j.OFfAIIFnpy/- LnFfAiiFnoj, <ur.iiijiviDr/k .trK.Aurni— — — — — — —
THE FIRSTSOME PRESS OPINIONS OF
EDITION OF "THE FREE-TRADE MOVE-
MENT AND ITS RESULTS".
'
' seldom met with a more complete though conciseWe have
statement of fact and argument than Mr. Armitage-Smith has
all points, whether of historical discussion or tariffgiven us. On
seems to usreform, foreign competition or imperial federation, he
convincing and satisfactory, and his handbook should do much to
convert doubters and to confirm believers." Spectator.
'
'An excellent account both of the history and of the present cir-
cumstances of British Free-trade." Athenseum.
"This is perhaps the best general survey of the Free-trade
knowledge of the generalMovement that we have. The author's
economic conditions of England is wide and accurate." Daily
Chronicle.
'
' This little book is not only a storehouse of economic facts, but
it contains arguments and statistics which go far to shatter not a
few economic fallacies." Speaker.
'
'The whole work lucid in style, dispassionate and rational inis
"manner, scientific inenquiry,and practical in appHcation. Glasgow
Herald.
" Mr. Armitage-Smith has equipped himself for this work with an
abundance of exact knowledge ; he has carried out his task, guided
by a sober judgment, and assisted by unsparing industry ; and his
book, therefore, is one which, we believe, no economic student will
read without interest and advantage." The Economic Journal.
"We heartily recommend this work to every thinking man. It
gives an accurate account of the origin of Protection, Free-trade,
&c.'—Public Opinion.
"The specially useful parts of Mr. Armitage-Smith's book are
those in which he traces the historical reasons for a protective
policy, and tells the story of the struggle for Free-trade in Eng-
land."—Pall Mall Gazette.
"We have not seen a book which sums up the evidence for and
against Free-trade in quite such a clear and compendious form."
Literary World.— — —
"A thoroughly informed, well-written, and impartial estimate of
effects of Free Exchange. . . .the history, the principle, and the
We have read Mr. Armitage-Smith's handbook with much pleasure,
recommend it as an interesting and substantial piece ofand can
work,"—London Quarterly Review.
fitted very useful manual, for Mr. Armitage-Smith"It is to be a
understands his subject and is not one-idea'd, and now and then
throws quite a new and searching light on old points, showing their
present bearings."—London Review.
author carefully discusses principles, and examines with"The
care the reasons why we are still left the only great free-trade com-
munity world. The examination fairly con-in the of the case is
ducted, and there is an equally calm review of the recent reaction in
favour of Protectionist methods." Record.
"There are few readers, whatever opinions they may form, who
will not feel that they have a better grasp of the facts, a fuller under-
standing of the pros and cons, for reading these pages. ... As
a digest ofmuch valuable information, and as a thoughtful study of
ofa most important subject, this little book deserves the attention
all who are interested in education."—Birmingham Post.
" analysis is thorough and comprehensive.Mr. Armitage-Smith's
His account of the origin of Protection, and of the prolonged agita-
ultimately overthrown country, istion by which it was in this
necessarily curtailed, but it is nevertheless correct, and exceedingly
"reading.good Nottingham Guardian.
"Much has been written about the policy which has made Britain
The Free-Trade Movement has seldom beengreat, but the case of
more lucidly and pregnantly stated than in the little volume which
Mr. Armitage-Smith has written. ... It is an eminently sug-G.
gestive book, and touches so many current problems that for
political and economic students who have not the leisure to face the
usefullarger treatises it may be heartily recommended as a most
and readable manual." Scotsman.
facts and philosophy of"This is a useful compendium of the
Free-trade. It gives the history and results of the movement, and
founded. Mr. Armitage-explains the principles on which it is . . .
Smith sets forth, with care and moderation and clearness, the
reasons for the conclusions he has come to, and supplies sufficient
figures to prove his points without burdening his argument by
statistics."-Outlook.4An
The
Free-trade Movement
And Resultsits
By
ARMITAGE-SMITH, M.A.G.
Fellow of the Royal Statistical Society
Birkbeck CollegePrincipal of the
SECOND EDITION
LONDON
BLACKIE & SON, Limited, OLD BAILEY, E.G.50
'
• • • •' ' 'a'"-LA3C0V/ AND OUM.'IN
1903r.rt
A73I
)30d
the EditionPreface to Second
that "ProtectionLord Beaconsfield once remarked
".was not only dead but damned The remark seems
likely to be disproved ; we are threatened with a revival
of the whole Free-trade controversy. The events which
have contributed to this prospect are several, (i) An
agitation of many years against the Continental sugar-
bounties has culminated in a convention by which
bounty-fed sugar will be excluded from Great Britain,
to the admitted loss of British consumers. The(2)
heavy burden of expenditure entailed by the South
African War led in 1902 to the reimposition of the
Corn Duty after fifty-six years. Financial exigencies
and an attempt to place taxation on a broader basis
were the arguments for the measure; it was, however,
interpreted by Protectionists as a recantation of Free-
trade doctrine and the beginning of a new era of pro-
tection, and great was their disappointment when the
tax was in the following year repealed as no longer
necessary. By its supporters the incidence of this duty,
yielding was500,000, variously assigned to foreign;^2,
exporters, shippers, merchants, &c., but was declared
have no effectto on consumers. The Chancellor of the
Exchequer, however, in repealing the tax, maintained
itthat fell upon the poorest classes. An alarm in(3)
some quarters respecting the supply of food in case of
war has led to the appointment of a Royal Commission
to enquire into the subject. But the event of greatest(4)
458(130;
Prefaceiv
sig'nificance, and one which has excited general interest,
the pronuilg"ation the Colonial Secretaryis by (Mr.
Chamberlain) of a policy of preferential trading with
means for consolidating-the Colonies as a the Empire
on a commercial basis, and for rendering it a self-
supporting unity, independent of other countries. This
proposal is the latest development of the Zollverein
scheme propounded some years ago; it raises again the
whole issue of Free-trade versus Protection. It is
necessary again to restate the arguments for the policy
adopted in 1846 and to consider their applicability to
present conditions, since it is maintained in some
quarters that circumstances have changed, and that a
foreign trading,theory of which was convincing some
fifty years ago, is wholly inapplicable to present times
while by others it is held that on the subject of Free-
trade the mental attitude may be one of indefinite
suspense.
In this edition speciala chapter has been added in
which the recent proposals are discussed by the light
of economic reasoning; for the rest, the book stands
as before. The author has only to add that prolonged
study and further experience only more deeply convince
him Free-trade policy is essential the well-that a to
being of this country, and that it is the policy best
to strengthen the tiescalculated with the Colonies
and to secure the consolidation and prosperity of the
Empire.
G. A.-S.
Jtily, 190J.