APPENDIOj£S. 161 



the Government has taken note of thia abate of things; 

 and they propose to you a policy Tvhich is known as the 

 policy of retaliation. They say in effect to the foreigner, 

 ' If you will not allow us to send our goods free into your 

 country, if you will not reduce or remove the taxation 

 which you put upon them, wo will impose taxation upon 

 the goods that you make. (Cheers.) We are tired of 

 keeping always the open doer for you while you slam your 

 door in our faces. What is sauce for the goose is eaucti 

 for the gander, (Cheers.) We will mete out to you the 

 measure which you have meted to us, and, if we have 

 to fight with you, to compete with you, we will compete 

 with your weapons.' (Hear, hear.) 



The Agricultural Labourer. 



" Well, ladies and gentlemen, that policy of the Govern- 

 ineut is a very good policy aa far as it goes. (' Hear, hear,' 

 end a laugh.) But where does agriculture come in? ('Hear, 

 hear.') The policy will help the manufacturer of this 

 country to recover and to maintain his position, but how 

 does it help the farmer, and how does it help the 

 labourer? Yet, if you look, it is the farmer and the 

 labourer who have suffered more than any other classes 

 from the system to which I have referred. (Cheers.) 

 Now, it is important, in the first instance, to make this 

 clear to you. I do not want in a groat m.eeting like this 

 to trouble you with many figures, but j>erhaps you will 

 forgive me if I give you a few. Our opponents tell you 

 that you have nothing to complain of. Mr. Morley, at 

 Manchester, recently, said that owing to free trade the 

 farmer was able to hold up his head, and that the labourer 

 was in a superior position. I am very glad to hear it. I 

 should be still more glad if it were true. (Loud laughter.) 

 If that were the case I should not be wanted here. 

 (Laughter and cheers.) If you are well you need not call 

 in a doctor. ('Hear, hear.') But is it true? (Cries of 

 ' No.') Are those the facts ? In the last 30 years the 

 acreage in corn in this country had lessened by three 

 Diillions of acres, the green crops have lessened by 

 three-quarters of a million ; and much land has gone out 

 of cultivation. What is of much more importance, an 



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