SHORTAGE OF WORK 13 



of wood and drawers of water." We were to be lords of 

 manufacture and they — slaves of the soil. 



A singularly bold idea was this of Richard Cobden, 

 and had it been realised our position would have been 

 unique in the world's history ; but, "the best-laid schemes 

 o' mice an' men Gang aft a-gley " — other nations also 

 saw the necessity of developing their manufactures, and 

 they would not have international free trade, and so 

 the great " Free Trade " scheme was foredoomed to J^® . .. 



° Best-laid 



failure. Among other things, we have let in free the land Schemes 

 products of other nations, but in so doing we have killed 

 the people's greatest industry, and we shall presently see 

 how terribly we have suffered in consequence. 



Mr Balfour's " only possible mode " will not then be 

 found in manufactures, but in the land and only in 

 the land. 



