CONCLUSION. 147 



greater than it was fifty years ago, but that the 

 expenditure on poor law relief is quite double, 

 although the population has not doubled, and in 

 spite of the enormous charitable agencies which 

 have sprung into existence during the same 

 period. 



The average man who, after considering all 

 these and other facts, will assert that our present 

 fiscal system is the best for agriculture and its 

 people, must either be a political partisan, whose 

 conduct or attitude Ave do not care further to de- 

 scribe ; or he must be wilfully unwilling to admit 

 the natural deduction to be drawn from the facts 

 of the situation. 



If the case for the " reconsideration " of our 

 present fiscal system is good, we think the case 

 for preferential trade with our Colonies, depen- 

 dencies, and daughter States no less good. We 

 should hold this opinion even were the commer- 

 cial benefits not likely to be all we believe they 

 will prove to be; for we are of opinion that the 

 Imperial aspect of this question is one which is 

 deserving of adoption, even if we have to pay 

 something for it. The consolidation of a people 

 means unity; and unity means strength. Tlie 

 idea of the British Empire feeding and support- 

 ing itself — standing, as Mr. Cliamberlain said at 

 the Royal Albert Hall, four-square against the 

 vrorld — is something to live for, something to fight 

 for. Assuredly, however, the British people are 

 not wishful to enter into a family compact with 

 the view of inflicting injury upon foreio'n TipfV'^?. 



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