[To THE EDTTOR OF THE "SPECTATOR:1 Sin,—Are we as a
nation losing our practical common-sense P I trust not; but surely we must be on the downward grade if seven thousand people in Birmingham can be so carried away by the fervid oratory of Mr. Chamberlain that they look upon him as a sort of heaven-born prophet, and all he says as gospel. In his " great" speech last week he begins by telling his faithful followers that he has broken down the theory of free imports. Has he ? How? Surely the trade returns as yet have not proved it, and certainly not the results of by-elections, for, as stated by " Conservative " in his letter to the Westminster Gazette of November 7th, since the Protectionist campaign commenced in 1903 the Conservative and Unionist party have not captured a single seat, although the number of contests has been forty-two. The Times, one of Mr. Chamberlain's staunchest supporters, gives an interesting report on the tinplate trade and its enormous increase of late years, especially in exports to "protected countries,"—one of the main causes of which is the free import. But the "great missioner " goes off on another tack, and tells us that increase in exports means nothing unless accompanied by " increased employment," and that only by his magic wand can unemployment cease. He tells the working men of Birmingham that if only they will adopt his policy there will be work and wages for everybody. This sounds like getting very near the millennium. Perhaps, however, he can explain why in America and other protected countries the proportion of unemployed is vastly larger than in our own, notwithstanding many great advantages which they possess over us. He goes on to declare that his two shillings per quarter on wheat is going to open up illimitable markets. Where ? In the Colonies, I presume, as his great ideal is that we should be a " self-sufficing " Empire. When this blissful period arrives we shall, of course, have no need of further communications with our foreign neighbours, and ull exports to, and imports from, them will cease. What is then to become of our shipping trade, and if the Colonies are to take all our manufactures, what is to happen to the un- fortunate Colonial manufacturers P Is such a state of things calculated either to bind the Empire or enrich either the Colonial or home manufacturers ? As Protection or Prefer- ence, or whatever Mr. Chamberlain may call his policy, can only enrich the few to the detriment of the many, we may be thankful that, like the millennium, it is a long way off.—
I am, Sir, &c., J. G. Fox.
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