The politician's objection to bounties is the practical one When
people actually see money being put into the pockets of private individuals they begin to ask whether the system is good enough. For fear of misunderstanding, let us say that we should be delighted to see the sugar industry flourish in this country, and if we could help our own people against the foreigner without creating economic waste, we would most gladly do so. Our objection is not that the foreigner is injured or the Englishman helped, but that the taxpayer is mulcted in order to set men doing what it is not economically fitting that they should do. If there is a really sound foundation for an industry it will spring up and flourish without Government aid, just as the motor industry did. We have always maintained that the present Government would end as Protectionists, but we hardly thought we should witness the Chancellor of the Exchequer openly using Pro- tectionist arguments in the House of Commons, especially when he has not even the usual Government excuse that Mr. Redmond and his followers will have it so.
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