THE FREE TRADE SHAM EXPOSED 183 

 in daily use by the people ; while we know from past ex- 

 perience you would just as readily tax other articles of 

 common consumption if you wanted money for war 

 purposes, or for other argent State needs." 



Our Pecksniffian Government, while professing to 

 scout the very idea of Reciprocity, and assuming an atti- 

 tude of pious horror at the mere mention of Protection, 

 have, de facto, entered into a reciprocal commercial 

 convention with our cousins across the Atlantic, whereby 

 certain of their goods come into our country free of im- 

 port duty, in return for a reduction in their import duty 

 of 25 per cent, on British works of art. 



In addition to this there is the still more recent in- 

 stance, in December of last year, of the arrangement 

 made between the Australian Government and our 

 Board of Trade, in respect to some of our manufactures 

 which Austraha imports. Our slate trade has benefited 

 to the extent of a preferential reduction of 5 per cent., 

 while the bicycle trade has benefited even still more. 



Free Trade apologists will, no doubt, by many a 

 specious argument, attempt to explain away this extra- 

 ordinary movement of the Government in favour of 

 Reciprocity, this leaning towards the very principles 

 which their political opponents, the Unionist Tariff 

 Reformers, so strenuously advocate, but, however much 

 they may protest, this precious Free Trade principle has 

 been clearly, unmistakably and formally surrendered 

 by their own Government in this Tariff Convention with 

 the United States, and the matter is now un fait 

 accompli. 



The present Free Trade Government, having ad- 



