THE VALUE OF COLONIES,

Dunstan Times, Issue 1257, 2 April 1886, Page 3

THE VALUE OF COLONIES,

If there bo any English workman who has had his bruin addled by foolish talk (says the Globe) about our colonies being worthless encumbrances, he should study a little table given in the annual iron trade report issued by Messrs Bolling and Lowe. He will there see it stated that “ the colonies and India are the backbone of our trade,” and this assertion is.fully borne out by the figures wiiich follow. During the first eleven months of 1885 Australia bought iron from us to the extent of L 3,039,107, India coming next with purchases to the amount of ’£2,570,010, followed by Canada with cL1,130,004, and Booth Africa with L 204,625. These four divisions of the Empire were therefore, our customers to the amount of nearly seven millions sterling for the article of iron alone. That is a big fact aud an uu-s pleasant one too, for those whose policy makes for the lopping off all distant

possessions on ao:ount of the responsibilities they involve! Perhaps it would be said that'these dependencies would still deal with us after separation the theory does not square with the fact that the United States, possessing a population of some 50,000,000, only purchased iron from us in the period above specified to the value of L 3,779,359. Now, had the Yankees bought as largely in propor tion as the 5,000,000 of Canadians, they would have dealt with us to the value of L 30,391,070. Clearly, there fore, it does pay to have colonies and dependencies attached to a manufacn turing country.