LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.
TILE FOOD TAXERS.
[To THE EDITOR. 07 TEM " SPECTATOR:1
Sr,—As a Free Trader, perhaps I ought not to meddle with the discussion between the Food Taxers, the non-Food Taxers, and the Deferred Food Taxers, but I should be glad to be allowed to ask the following question: May not the sixteen Food Taxers, unpopular as they seem to be, at least say that they are neither unintelligent nor disingenuous ? They see that, if various industries are to be protected, the most widespread industry, agriculture, could not be left out in the cold; and, seeing this, they do not wish to hide it from the electors. The marvel is that there should be intelligent and honourable men who can bring themselves to think not only that they can hide it, but that they ought to bide it. The electors may be able to see for themselves that, notwith- standing protestations, promises, and concealments, Protec- tion for the farmer is inevitable if Protection be given to the manufacturers on whom the farmer depends for his clothing and equipment. The device of an election on the question of Protection for manufactured articles, to be followed by an election (or a Referendum) to settle whether there shall be Food Taxes, betrays too low an opinion, I think, of the intelligence of electors, for it is not a difficult thing to see that, if once Protection be given to the manufacturer, even an extreme Free Trader (for example, Mr. Asquith himself) might feel bound to vote in favour of Protection for the farmer as a matter of fair play. May it not fairly be expected that electors will know better than to vote on the question of Protection by instalments P If a tax on foreign manufactures is proposed to them, and they determine to vote for it, will they not do so knowing quite well that they are committing themselves to a tax on food—will they not do so knowing that no power can prevent such a tax if manufactures are protected?
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