第70部分(第3/7 頁)

ore　the　public　in　the　above　speech；　although　others　took　it　up　soon　afterwards；　is　sound　and　clear。　I　can　see　no　escape　from　the　conclusion　that；　if　food…stuffs　are　to　be　admitted　to　our　markets　practically　free；　while　other　imports　are　taxed；　our　agriculture　must　suffer　to　a　terrible　extent。　The　same　thing　applies；　if　in　a　less　degree；　to　the　admission　of　food…stuffs　without　impost　from　the　constituent　parts　of　the　British　Empire。　It　would　make　little　difference　to　the　British　farmer；　in　these　circumstances；　whether　the　corn　or　the　meat　came　in　free　from　India　and　Canada　or　from　Russia　and　the　Argentine；　if　at　the　same　time　he　had　to　pay　more　for　his　implements；　his　clothing；　and　every　other　article　of　daily　life；　and；　as　a　consequence；　a　higher　rate　of　wages；　while　he　only　realised　the　old　low　prices　for　what　he　had　to　sell。　For；　be　it　remembered；　the　British　manufacturer　peting　with　the　foreign…made　articles　would　certainly　raise　the　cost　of　his　output　till　it　equalled；　or　almost　equalled；　the　price　at　which　such　foreign　articles　could　be　profitably　sold　to　the　British　consumer。

At　first　my　hopes　of　any　tangible　result　of　my　labours　were　bitterly　disappointed。　Thus；　when　in　January　1906；　a　little　over　three　years　later；　I　wrote　a　preface　to　a　new　edition　of　“Rural　England；”　I　find　myself　saying：

I　wish　I　could　add　that　I　was　able　to　point　to　any　tangible　fruits　of　its　publication。　This；　however；　I　cannot　do。　Personally；　I　have　made　every　effort　to　bring　the　reforms　urged　in　its　pages　to　the　benevolent　notice　of　those　in　authority。　At　some　private　cost　I　have　inflicted　upon　them　copies　of　these　expensive　volumes　and　been　favoured　in　return　with　polite　notes　of　thanks。　I　have　interviewed　certain　of　them　who　wished　to　receive　me。　I　have　neglected　other　wor