WAGES 



55 



ducts only for her own agriculturalists, but also for many 

 cultivators in other parts of the world. Coal and iron 

 occurring as they do perhaps more favourably within her 

 frontiers than in any other part of the world— the coal 

 certainly in greater abundance than anywhere else— fit 

 her by nature to play the part of miner and manufacturer 

 for many nations. 



But there are nations besides herself endowed with 

 coal and iron, to a greater or less degree, who likewise 

 engage in the manufacture for distant markets. The 

 following table exhibits their comparative productive 

 power. It will be seen that the United Kingdom is by 

 no means the first in production. 



Table No. XII 



Comparative production (pre - war) 

 countries in coal, iron, and textiles. 



of various 



Among the manufacturing nations who compete for 

 foreign trade the principal are the countries of the 

 western mainland of Europe. These countries draw 

 their workmen from populations reduced in living by the 

 overcrowded state of their territories and the descent 

 of agriculture. There the manufacturing hands must 



