168 APPENDICES. 



fiiture? You cannot expect that your food will he cheaper. 

 I suppose we have got to about the bedrock level in regard 

 to the price of food. On the other hand, it may he much 

 dearer. If you depend upon a single source of supply for 

 all that you cannot produce your&elves, you will create 

 a monopoly, and a monopoly will probably end in a rise 

 in price. And if there should be any drought in America, 

 or any such speculation as that which took place a year 

 or two ago, which raised the price of corn temporarily by 

 10s. a quarter — if that be the case, the labourer will be 

 the first to suffer, and to Mm it may mean great misery 

 and great distress. But if the price of your food is not 

 likely to be lowered, can you expect more emjjloyment? 

 No. Every day sees more land carried from arable to 

 pasture, and every acre that is transferred means so many 

 more labourers thrown out of employment. (Cheers.) 

 Can you expect more wages'? No; as long as the farmer 

 can make no profit he cannot afEord to pay you more 

 Avagea (cheers) ; and, therefore, let me say that the 

 interest of the labourer in this question is the interest 

 of the farmer. (Hear, hear.) If the farmer and the 

 labourer would work together they would have more 

 influence than they have now; they would not be for- 

 gotten by the Government. (Cheers.) If the position of 

 the labourer is to be improved, the position of the farmer 

 must be improved with it; and the real point, therefore, 

 is, will the proposals that I maJce improve the condition 

 of the farmer, and, under those circumstances, will the 

 farmer be able to improve the condition of the labourer? 

 C Yes.') 



The Chief Products of Ageicultuee. 

 "Now, then, what are my proposals? Remember, I have 

 only put them before you as a sort of sketch plan for the 

 purpose of discussion and consideration. I do not ask 

 you to pledge yourselves to them. They have been sub- 

 mitted to the consideration of the Tariff Commission, 

 under the chairmanship of Mr. Chaplin (cheers), and it 

 is quite possible that before they are finally settled they 

 will undergo some changes and amendments; but I will 

 take them as they are, as, at all events, a subject for dis- 

 cussion, and I will take them as illustrating the changes 

 that are likely to take place. The general principle is 



