UNEMPLOYMENT 133 



the turn of the particular political party he happens to be 

 associated with. 



The volume of our trade to-day is greater than that of any 

 other nation in the world. Good! but what does it prove? 

 Nothing ! 



The world's trade grows necessarily in proportion to 

 increased population and the freer facilities offered for the 

 interchange and transit of commodities ; and if our trade shows 

 an increase, this country, in common with all others, is but sharing 

 in the natural trade expansion resulting from these causes. 



This one fact, however, should not elate us, nor should we 

 accept it as an infallible sign of national prosperity. We should 

 rather keep a keen eye on our projyortional increase, to see if 

 we are holding our own with foreign competitors ; for it is this, 

 and this alone, whicli is the key to the position, and if we 

 hold it we arc safe. 



Decadent Tkade Supremacy 



That we not holding our own with most of the foreign 

 States, particularly with Germany and the United States, there 

 is no question, because every return furnished by the Board 

 of Trade proves it. 



To state that " Britain is still first, far in front of any 

 other country," is to mislead by dealing in half-truths ; but it 

 has been found over and over again that half-truths often 

 serve political ends where whole truths must fail. 



"Britain Leading" is on a par with the "Big Loaf" 

 brand of political catchwords, and unless the people are more 

 on their guard in respect to these shallow political tricks, they 

 will be just as liable to be deceived now, and in the future, as 

 they have been so many times in the past. 



The Unemployed question is but one of the results, as 

 excessive Poverty is another, of a policy which demands the 

 sacrifice of agriculture on the altars of L'ommercialism — and 

 until this grave fundamental error in our national economy be 

 recognised, and then remedied, there is no more chance of real 

 relief coming to this Unemployed evil, than there is to the 

 swimmer, who has been cast overboard a thousand miles from 

 land, of reaching the shore. 



This wretched question is ever present with us, and as 

 surely as the seasons come round in their appointed course, 

 so does this unfortunate business crop up as trade fluctuates, 

 or the fashion for a certain class of goods changes or dies. 



For a brief period, a wave of industrial and commercial 

 prosperity returns, and the particular political party interested 



