COBDENISM. 65 



He mentions those of 1880 and 1893. It is a pity- 

 he does not — in writing in 1903 — tell ua the 

 results of the report of the Eoyal Commission 

 issued in 1897. For his benefit and for that of 

 those who think like him, we may add that the 

 Commissioners came to the conclusion that low 

 prices were the chief cause of the agricultural 

 depression; whilst they mentioned foreign com- 

 petition in connection with such prices. " One 

 conclusion," the Commissioners stated, " which 

 cannot fail to be drawn from a perusal of the 

 evidence before us is, that amongst all classes of 

 agriculturists there is a consensus of opinion 

 that the chief cause of existing depression is the 

 progressive and serious decline in the prices of 

 farm produce " ; whilst, as to foreign competition, 

 of the witnesses which gave evidence before that 

 Commission no less than 42 of them, including 

 some of those whose names are " household 

 words " amongst agriculturists, declared that 

 " the fall in prices has been directly con- 

 nected with the increase in foreign competi- 

 tion " ; another, but not so serious a cause 

 being the cost of production. As for the 

 remedy for these low prices and foreign com- 

 petition, the Commissioners stated, " the remedy 

 for the present state of things suggested by 

 the majority of witnesses has been a return to 

 measures of protection; nor is it possible to 

 ignore the fact that a great many farmers 

 throughout the country share this view." The 

 Commissioners themselves, whilst evidently sym- 



