THE CORN LAWS AND PRIDES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13095, 7 February 1906, Page 3

THE CORN LAWS AND PRIDES.

Sir.—" Economist's" letter in your issue of the- 2nd in~t. requires but brief notice front me, but may 1 remind liini that ho commenced his tirst letter by implying that I hut! used the figures quoted unfairly, if nop dishonestly? He said that they wero tvn example of how figure*: might Ih> made to prove thins;. This can only be done by using them dishonestly. " Economist." talk's a great deal about what. " might" have been. When I was a !x»v and used thin word I was sometimes told that, pigs might ! v. but that they ivre most, unlikely birds. To attempt to found an argument on what. " ini,'ht" have been is, surely a waste of time and ink. 1 am very strongly of opinion that in order to bring about, free trade within the Empire something more is wanted than for " the colonies to treat the Mother Country as she treats them." Th« Empire must, protect, itself against the outsider. Samuel, Vaile. February 5. Sir, —Re Corn Laws, J beg to show Mr. Vaile where his figures are wrong. During a few years subsequent to 1848 and 1851 (California!! and Australian gold discoveries) the value of money fell about 20 per cent.., so that, if corn averaged t.ie same gold value after the abolition of corn laws as before it would lie equivalent to a fall in real or labour, value of 20 per cent, to the English working class. Every inventor of a. laboursaving machine or improved method in production, conveyance, distribution, or coin sumption reduces prices or increases wages. Ail obstacle against imports acts against exports to the same extent. The chief advantage of free trade is that it allows everything to be produced with the. least labour. If New Zealand prohibited all imports wages and profits would fall about 40 per cent. Protection, however, has the doubtful: advantage of greater variety of employment; and increasing tho population of our towns and decreasing that of .country districts. Commercial supremacy would be .no benefit to England: 11 she asks in this respect is free exchange. John Johnson.