LEGISLATION AND BUSINESS.
Referring more especially to the actual conditions of the industrial position as they exist to-day, Mr. Courtatild said :-
Those who adhere rigidly to the old Free Trade school matt' say that the present *ate of affairs has been caused by the original imposition of the duties having fostered unhealthy expansion, but I would submit that the powers that be should look at things as they are and not concern themselves too much with ancient history at such a critical moment. There are many thousands of people dependent upon this industry for their •living to-day : it is useless to argue, as some people will, that they should have been employed in some other trade, or that they should have emigrated, because they are in fact now with us, and they stand in imminent danger of being thrown into the ranks of the unemployed. Whilst I am on this subject, may I say that the present deplorable position could not conceivably have arisen had 'the Government been composed of business men or paid due attention to business interests ? Any commercial man of experience could have foreseen that a threat of repealing a duty a year hence would infallibly have the effect of a gradual paralysis upon the industry concerned, resulting, as the critical day approached, in an almost complete standstill, with a consequent enormous increase in unemployment. I do not wish it to be understood that I am criticizing the present Government in particular ; how often do we find in Budget debates in the House of Commons that decisions are taken in.& comparatively few minutes, and upon imperfect information, in matters affecting the vital interests of hundreds of employers and the very livelihood of tens—if not hundreds—of thousands of workers 1
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