[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.] Sia,—In your article on
Russian trade I notice the- following point : " We have got a million of unemployed workers, and it is better for them to manufacture something, even though it is possible that their work will largely be thrown away, than to sit idle." This seems a good reason for trade with Russia, but an even better one for Protection. We import annually an enormous quantity of manufactured goods, and one would imagine that our million now unemployed workers might usefully spend their time making these in our own factories. We should then only be paying one man where now we pay two—the foreigner for work done and the Englishman for work prevented. Would a fall in the imports of manufactured goods decrease our total imports, and conse-
quently injure our export trade ? Surely not, for if we decreased one import we could increase another—that of food and raw materials.—I am, Sir, &c.,
C. A. G. THOMAS.
The Welbeck Palace Hotel, Welbeck Street, W. 1.
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