The Westminster Gazette has provided a criticism so apposite on
one portion of Mr. Chamberlain's speech that we cannot resist quoting it. Mr. Chamberlain denounced "the cargoes of ready-made doors delivered on their quays, whereby the Bristol carpenter was deprived of his lawful work." Now, not only does a correspondent note that these ready-made doors are made in Canada, and so ought, accord- ing to the Chamberlain policy, to be preferred and not kept out, but the Westminster Gazette in one of its notes quotes the following smashing answer to the Fair-trade argument in regard to joinery imports which was made by Mr. Chamber- lain in 1885 :—
" I hear that Mr. Dumphreys [Mr. Chamberlain's opponent] in one of his speeches complained that framework, wood framework, was imported into this country from Canada and Norway and Sweden to the detriment of English carpenters, and he proposed that a duty should be put on that manufacture also. In Germany they followed this recommendation; they have put a duty on manufactures of wood, and what do you think the result has been ? Do you think the carpenters and the cabinet-makers have been benefited ? Not a bit of it ; there are fewer houses built, there are less working-men, and there are less wages paid. From a return which I have got I find that the wages of 30,000 carpenters and cabinet-makers in Germany are from 18s. to 19s. a week. The week's work is 72 hours, and in many eases 84, because they work on Sundays as well as other days of the week. (` Shame V said a voice. 'We are not going to have it here.') I hope not ; but it is right that you should know about these things, and that when these quack remedies are proposed to you you should understand what the result is of taking them."
The Free-trade case could not be better put. Note that in those days Germany was not held up as the workman's
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