THE LAND AND TARIFFS. 195 



an agricultural tariff for Great Britain. But 

 let the matter, I pray, be argued on the 

 basis, not that a food tariff will be imposed in 

 mad-bull fashion, but reasonably, cautiously, 

 and with a due consideration for settled in- 

 terests. 



It has to be accepted, I presume, as a first 

 principle that no system of agricultural protec- 

 tion which sensibly increased the cost of living 

 would be possible. Personally I am very strongly 

 of opinion that it would be worth while to 

 restore the agricultural industry, even at the 

 price of sacrificing some manufacturing industry 

 dependent on a very low wage rate. Nationally 

 the exchange would be a good one. But it is 

 not necessary to argue on those lines. A fair 

 examination of the experience of other countries, 

 and of the theory of tariffs, should convince 

 reasonable people that it is possible to give a 

 great deal of protection to British agriculture 

 without causing any burdensome increase in the 

 cost of food. 



At the outset the ground should be cleared 

 by making a distinction between a tariff impost 

 upon an article freely produced within the 



