But if the Government are now convinced that, as there
cannot be another great war for many years owing to the exhaustion of the world, it is safe to avoid spending money on national security, why do they go on with this key industries legislation Y It is sure to keep the prices of a great many articles much higher than they need be. It is sure also to bi an impediment in the way of trade. It will check freedom of movement and exchange. The only possible defence of it is that it is, as was said of agriculture, essential to security. But if the Agriculture Act goes, why preserve Protection ? There is really much more reason for dropping Protection than for repealing the Agriculture Act. Is optical glass more important than food for security Y The abandonment of the Agriculture Act causes the Government to ignore their pledgee not only to the farmers who have invested their capital, but to the labourers who have been promised minimum wages. There would be no similar question of bad faith if the Govern- ment decided to give up Protection.
