ENGLAND V. AMERICA.

Otago Witness, Issue 1421, 15 February 1879, Page 10

ENGLAND V. AMERICA.

MR WILLIAM D. MARVEL'S ADDRESS ON ENG-

LISH AND AMERICAN MANUFACTUJBES BEFORE THE KREE TRADE CLUB. (From the New York Herald.) Mr William D. Marvel delivered on sth December an address in the aeries of parlour lectures announced some weeks ago by the New York Free Trade Olub at their clubhouse, No. 21 West Twenty-fourth street. He took for his subjecb " Our 'Kin Bayond Sea,'" choosing the title of Mr Gladstone's recent article in the Nurth American Review. He quoted from this article briefly in beginning his address, and declared that the English stateman's prediction that America is to become what England now is, "the employer of all employed," was an artful statement, which was to many of our people a sweet morsel swallowed without reflection. His own hopes of the greatness of America, Mr Marvel declared, were Becond to none, but he hoped never to dream of the time when America would in any manner menace England's commercial and manufacturing supremacy. Political affairs in England, he observed, had assumed such a position that Mr Gladstone had been set aside. Smarting with resentment, he had sought to publish his disappointment to the world. The lecturer, however, desired to honour England with all uincerity. She was not the poor old cripple she was sometimes represented to be. Her empire extended around the world, and she had aohieved the empire of commerce. Without her patronage America would be to-day poor indeed. Her machinery created a demand for nearly 200,000,000 dol. worth of raw cotton alone each year. America's interest was not in menacing England or any other nation. « It was in the most enlarged diversity of employments for the whole world. America was not to devote herself exclusively to agricultural employments. This would be impossible. Manufactures were necessary, but when fostered as an exotic became a real detriment. The principal detriment of ■which he spoke was that of misdirected capital. Manufactories in this country in every direction were going to ruin because of misdirected capital, particularly iron furnaces. Onr achievements in iron and steel manufactures were a source of great pride, but their cost to the people at large had best not be considered, for two reasons :— Firat, the indirect cost to the people would frighten them ; Becond, that though this was a, permanent national investment, by reason of forced development, yet the wisdom of this forcing was questionable. Taking it for granted that henceforth our manufacturing interests would advance steadily, how could they be made permanent, and their growth in numbers commensurate with demand only? A manufacturer must compete in price with others in order to prosper. Because of inability to do this many manufactories are now idle. He would not admit that America needed a very large foreign market, but she did need at times a market for our surplus goods. The trade reports of England for 10 months ending 31st October, 1878, show that her people have consumed £1,144,000 more value of living animals than in 'the' corresponding 10 months of 1877. England's exports of iron are about equal m quantity, but slightly deßcient in value, compared with the previous year. Her exports of cotton cloth, though slightly less, show yards enough to reach 70 tiims around the elobe. Of cotton thread and yarn she exported upward of 22,000.000 lbs. Her exports of lineD goods have decreased. England is in pretty good condition. Her people are able to consume largely of the necessities of life drawn from us, and is not thiß a fitting return? Temporary depressions may occur, bnt she will recover. Oar wise plan iB not to decry England's grandeur, but to glory in it. America is yet in its infancy. It is blessed in sod and climate, but Providence ha 3 interposed barriers to communication between different parts of our country which make, communication with foreign couutries not only more convenient but cheaper to some parts m the exchange of our commodities. To compel Bucn parts to labour against natural barriers is to retard the development of our country. Great reforms are needed in our commercial policy. That a vast amount of invested capital in our country was misdirected aU would agree. Protective tariffs at the start seem to produce prosperity ; but they only offer a premium for the diversion of capital from legitimate channels. la consequence of this we see so much capital now y wlding no profit. To economise this capital is a national duty. , ■, -^ •. The lecturer then concluded with a quotation from a paper recently read before the Statistical and Social Inquiry Society of Ireland, by Me Joseph T. Prin. In this Mr Prin upheld free trade, in reply to Lord Bateman, of Herefordshire.