52 AGRICULTURE AND TARIFF REFORM. 



possible to revert to such a systcv^, because the people 

 most interested in the question- are the artisan and 



labouring class u7io, by their votes (ichich they did not 



have in Cobdcn's time), absolutely control the situation. 



In Cobdcn's time it was, practically spealdng, only those 



u-ho had a little bit of freehold property of some sort 



v:ho had a vote. 



(21). " The farmer has been tokl the fallacj- 

 ! that if there was free trade in corn wheat would 



be so cheap that he would not be able to carry 



on his farm." 



Note. — Mr. Cobdcn said this v:as a fallacy; but how 



viany farmers daring the last JfO or 50 years have had 



to give up their farms through not being able to grow 

 \ wheat and other corn crops, and to feed their stocJ: at a 



profitable price? 

 . (22). " There is another point upon which 

 ' much misrepresentation exists, namely, the price 



at which corn can be grown abroad. The cost of 



transit from Dantzic may be put down at 10s. 6d. 



per quarter. This is the natural protection 

 { enjoyed by the farmers of this country. The 

 ; farmer v/ill thus secure the constant protection 



of half a guinea per quarter on his corn." 

 ; Note. — So far from the farnur having an advantage 

 ! over the foreigner in the matter of freight the reverse 



is the case; for wheat can be brought not nurcly from 



Dantzic but from America to TAverpool at ~.s. to Ss. tier 



(juarter! ! 



I (23). " I do not anticipate that wheat will be 

 I reduced below 45s. per quarter, even by free trade, 



and meat, butter, and cheese will certainly not 



fall in the same proportion." 



Note. — This statement uos adopted by Cobden from 



a letter he received from a correspondent. The facts 



