344 KNTRi:X( II MKXT OF IXDL-STUV. 



l)een able to sustain her armies and i)()])nlatiun for two vears. 

 despite the fact of our glorious navy imposinor a blockade of 

 unprecedented leng-th. and latterly, owino- to the insistent demand 

 of the public, a more rigid blockade and i)ractical severance by 

 sea of all comnnmications. How could (Germany have acconi- 

 j)lished such marvels without a carefully considered industrial 

 policy? The United Kingdom has been at the mercy of Free 

 Trade ])oliticians for years. The rich have become richer and 

 the poor poorer. The cry is still Free Trade and more children 

 — in other words, free imports, the increased power of wealth 

 and more children to be trained for labour at low wages. It is 

 :in o])vious fact that Britain would have been brought to utter 

 collapse by six months' entire blockade. There appears nothing 

 for it but the complete abandonment of Cobden's shibboleths, so 

 dear to the average politician. Industrial develo])ment must suc- 

 ceed the policy of control by ])oliticians. One only needs to 

 look at the extraordinary pros])erity of America, and in fact 

 all tariff controlled cc^imtries, for examples of how best to en- 

 courage national development. Where is Free Trade leading 

 England to? Do the ]K)wers that be expect the birth-rate to in- 

 crease without some means of providing for the existence of the 

 population? What object is there in raising the population of 

 a country if all the food necessary for their existence has to be 

 imported? Is it not an obvious fact that with any increase of 

 population ])overty must ensue? If the United Kingdom has too 

 large a population for the internal resources to prt)vide food 

 for, then the excess population must be deported, or cities will 

 become larger, millions c:»f people will be condemned to exist 

 under the most unfavourable conditions, and tlic onlv progress 

 that can be expected will be the progressive increase of riches 

 among those who ex])loit the population for their own benefit. 

 In other words, under Free Trade the doctrine of 



(ii)d bless t!ie Sfuiirc and his ri'latimis. 

 Ami keep us in dur jn-nncr stations, 



has full power and effect. 



We are familiar with the risks and difficulties attendant 

 upon efforts to establish local industries. \^arious commissions 

 have sat and made their recommendations, but we still await a 

 tariff" that will i)rovide security under which industrialists may 

 embark their ca])ital with reasonable i)ros])ects of ])ermanent 

 success. 



Hitherto there has been a timid pt)licy of moderation. Toli- 

 ticians are saturated with the idea of making concessions to the 

 <)])posing ])arty or ])arties in order to kee]> themselves in ])o\ver. 

 Aioderation is enjoined upon the public in all things. One might 

 as well continue the a])plication. and suggest only a moderate 

 bombardment v{ the enemies" trenches, or exi^ect peo])le to be 

 moderately honest, or women moderately virtuotis. The average 

 man and woman are tired to death of jjolitical and social plati- 

 tudes. Only a vigorous iM)licy will satisf>- us. Natal, and doubt- 

 less the other States of the I'nion, might as well ha\-e l)etn m- 



