[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.'
Sm,—As a constant reader of the Spectator, and like yourself a life-long and convinced Free Trader, and sincerely regretting the opposition to Sir Herbert Samuel, I cannot but be sorry that you should join the epithet stingers. The Prime Minister's formula is " not excluding tariffs." Then the Protectionists would change this into " including tariffs," which we resent ; but when a section of the Liberal Party changes it, in effect, into " excluding tariffs," the opposition to them becomes regrettable but not " abominable."
There is another matter that needs elucidation.. Cobden's principle was that trade, like water, should be left to find its own level, and John Bright was quite consistent in opposing the early Factory Acts. But water does not find its own level with one end of the pipe blocked, and since Parliament and the Trade Unions started pegging wages pure Cobdenism is dead. The Labour Party wants the best of both worlds— free imports and pegged wages. Are you, as the protagonist of free trade, prepared to press for the economic wages with all its implications ? or can you suggest an alternative to pegged prices whereby industry can be maintained against foreign rivals on a lower wage-level ?—I am, Sir, &c.
Wychhotd Vicarage, Droitwich. E. C. Ownr.
[We accept the description, " protagonist of Free Trade " with pride ; we reject that of " epithet stinger " as unearned. Time and again we have denied that trade unionism, though indispensable for collective bargaining, is consistent with free exchange of labour. Our two correspondents take a too personal view of what we wrote of Sir H. Samuel. He happens to be the principal Liberal Minister in the National Government. As such, he ought to be accepted by the Government's supporters.—En. Spectator.]
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