Those who prefer the " safety " razor to the
ordinary razor which has satisfied the civilized shavers of past centuries must be grateful to American • inventors and manufacturers, but they need not now buy an American article. The British soldier is to be supplied with these " mowing machines," and the Secretary of State for War decided upon a voluntary form of Protection. We object to tariffs, but not to the honest Protectionist who prefers to pay more (as he is always free to do) for British goods than he need pay for foreign, and insists on doing so with his own money. The War Office has gone one step further and felt justified in refusing the lowest tenders for razors to be bought with the taxpayers' money, because these were for razors to be imported from the United States in spite of a duty under the Safeguarding Act. The order has gone to an offshoot, as we understand, of an American firm, a company registered here. The handles will be made at Slough and the blades of Sheffield steel at Montreal. Sir Laming Worthington-Evans claimed in a letter published last week that the Safeguarding Act led to the establishment. of the factory at Slough, just as the McKinley tariff led British manufacturers to start factories in the United States. We cannot see any objection to a transaction .which brings together British labour and American money.
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