The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 1910 PROTECTION VERSUS FREETBADE

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2724, 1 February 1910, Page 4

The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 1910 PROTECTION VERSUS FREETBADE

Additional zest should be imparted to discussions on the old question of protection versus freetrade by the cablegram published in this morning's issue. From this it appears that despite a tremendously high protective tariff the United States increased her imports in 1909 by some £71.000,000. whilst her exports declined by £5,000,000. In other words, the attempt oi the United States to keep trade within its own borders and to shut out the goods of foreign manufacture by means of heavy duties has largely failed. The consumers have had to contribute enormous sums to the public Treasurer for the privilege of using imported goods whilst American manufacturers have been enabled to extort usurious profits for home-made articles. Of course, this is not the last that can lie said on the subject. If the American workman has been able to earn such high wages at protected industries that he can pay the duties on the imported articles he uses and still have somerhing over all may be well. ,But the “if” if a very big one. Meantime the fact that thousands of Americans and Canadians have decided to refrain from eating meat in order to compel the trusts to reduce prices is a striking commentary on the results of tariff manipulating. The public does not resort to such determined tactics unless there is a real grievance.