132 THE MURDER OF AGRICULTURE 

 supplies and, despite the theory of economics, it will be 

 found in practice that she will be able to control the 

 market prices of her own bread-stuffs instead of them 

 being governed — as they are to-day — entirely by those 

 foreign markets upon which we are so hopelessly depen- 

 dent. 



4. Permanent and profitable employment will be 

 found literally for millions of our people who are now so 

 miserably poor as to be on the verge of starvation. 



5. The necessity for taking thirty-five millions annu- 

 ally out of the pockets of the tax-payers for poor-rates 

 will become less and less as agricultural industries de- 

 velop, until this tax shrinks to the same irreducible mini- 

 mum at which this monstrously unjust and altogether 

 unnecessary imposition stands in other civilised countries. 



6. Large increase in manufacturing industries and 

 trades consequent on improved condition of millions of 

 people whose purchasing power naturally becomes 

 greater in proportion to increased prosperity. 



These instances will suffice, although we might fill 

 many pages with the subject. 

 A Sham Now if we cannot carry this precious free trade 

 Fraud arrangement right through to that practical, logical 

 conclusion hoped for by its inventors; if we cannot say 

 that it has resulted in general prosperity to the country, 

 and bestowed those especial benefits on us as a people 

 which we were led to believe it would bestow, it may 

 fairly be asked, in the name of that common sense 

 upon which we pride ourselves so much, why on earth 

 do we go on clinging to a palpable sham and a mon- 

 strous fraud? 



