"FRETETRADE"—AN ELECTIONEERING DODGE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1668, 21 September 1887, Page 2

"FRETETRADE"— AN ELECTIONEERING DODGE.

TO THE EDITOB. Sir,— The cry of 4l Freetrade," at present before the public, is nothing bat an electioneering dodge. Wherever it has been tried it bas been condemned, Manchester, the home of Freetrade, ia about equally divided as to its merits. Many of the English newspapers say it has made England the laughing stock of Europe. Protection, on the contrary, has enabled France and Germany to make more progress than England, with Freetrade, while America has actually run away from Kngland. Canada, seeing the immense advantaga of Protection to America, is following m her footsteps. Protection which employs men at the farmers' doors, who consume the farmers produce is the best, for this or any other young country. But I will give you a few more facts which will show its immense advantage. In America, m twenty years, men, engaged m wood work increased from 130,000 to 340,000, and the product increased three-fold, amounting to 600,000,000 ef dollars. Woollen workers m the same time increased from 60,000 to 160,000. and the .products from $80,000,000 to $270,000,000 The quantity of cotton goody has doubled, and the sup* ply from England practically stopped. Imports of cotton goods have declined from 227.000,000 yards to almost nothing, while the exports amounted to 1 50,000, 000 yards, fcilk shows a like increase. Bailways have increased from 30,000 miles to 120,000, about equal to all the rest m the world. " Bef<ro Protection," says the " News Letter," ,l made us independent of the foreign manufacturer, we were subject to such prices, often exorbitant aa he chose to exact." He continues, "prices under protection are wonderfully less than under a low tariff." The opening of our coal mines has reduced the price of ooil m the United States to less per ton at tbe mines than the coßt In Great Britain. In 1864 when Bessemer Steel Works were undertaken, American railroad managers were paying from 80 to 103 dollars per ton for English ateel rails delivered at English seaports. To, day (1884) home manufactured steel rails are quoted at 30 dollars per ton," With suoh evldenoe as this who la insane enough to advocate Freetrade? What h»B nearly rained Jamaica? Freetrade. But there tea ory of "strikes" m America. Wall, are there no Btrlkea m Freetrade England? We are told, no doubt while those who tell us pat their tongues m their cheeks, that there is considerable di. tress and want cf employment In America. No doubt about it, and no wonder seeing that it is tbe refuge for the destitute of Europe. But do not all these things exfst m a more aggrarated form m England We do not read of 40 deaths from et_rvation m one year m America. No wonder with such startling fac 8 before us that all intelligent men not having a politcal cry, should con* demn Freetr.d^." lam not at all surprised that Mr Kair, backed as he is by John Stuart. Mill, should throw np tbe sponge. By the tima this election ia finished Mr K^ir, who seems to have as little Freetrade backbone as Major Atkinson had political backbone, will be an ardent advocate of " Protection;"