CHAPTER VIII 



WHAT ONLOOKERS THINK OF FREE-TRADE — Continued 



One of the strongest cards played by anti-Free-traders in this 

 game of national economics, and one which is bound to impress 

 the onlooker, is the frankness with which they appeal to the 

 people. " Don't take what we say as gospel truth, but judge for 

 yourselves. If the results of Free-trade are as beneficial as 

 Free-traders declare them to be, the people should be enjoying 

 a time of plenty and gladness. Let your judgment be formed 

 only upon the basis of practical illustrations as afforded by 

 existing conditions," say they, " and if you find these to be 

 all that you desire, all that you deem to be necessary in the 

 interests of the people, then continue your Free-trade system 

 by all means, for our eifbrts will have been made in vain." 



To those among us who are really desirous of putting the 

 case to such reasonable tests, there is unfortunately too much 

 evidence forthcoming of widespread havoc — a ruined land 

 industry and all that it involves, a terribly congested labour 

 market, lost manufacturing industries, dearth of employment, 

 and vast masses of unemployed, exhaustion of national energy 

 by the constant drain of compulsory emigration, and a mass of 

 pauperism the like of which is not known in any civilised 

 country in the world. 



Industrial Humiliation 



The incident of the 3000 English dockers at Hamburg in 

 the spring of 1907 shows the ease with which foreign markets 

 can be supplied with the overplus of British labour, while the 

 discharge of artisans Irom the Woolwich Arsenal about the 

 same period, and the immediate recourse to emigration which 

 followed, proves how precarious employment is in this country, 

 and how difficult it is to get fresh work. 



Here is what the Daily Mail said on tlie subject of the 

 Hamburg strike on April 13, 1907 — 



5G 



