JANUARY, 1912.

Soutb plac~ €tbical soci~tp, South Place, Finsbury, E.C.

abject of the Society. "The Object of th e Society is the eu llivat'on of a rational religious sent iment, the study of ethical principles, and the prom oti on of human welfare, in ktrmony with advancing kno\vleclge."

MEMBERSJfIV. Any porson in sympathy witll the Object of this ociety, subscribing the Application

Form for Memhership, Ilud paying for a sitting, is thereby constJtuted a Member of the Society. 'rh08e Mcm~r8 Ol.1y who are twenty~olle years of age and upwards, whose names have been twelve months upon the register, nnd wbose sea t Ttmts for the previous qun.rter have been pllid, shall be qualified to vote Ilnd to hold omoe.-Extract from the RuleB.

Sittings may be obtain ed upon applioation in the Library, or to MIss.H. M. FAlRHALL, South Place Ohapel, Hon. R egistrar of Members and ASSOCIates, prlOes varymg from 2s. Gd. to 10s. per quarter. P er sons uuder twenty·one a re charged half the usual rates.

RSSael1tTES. !~ny person in sympathy with the Object of the Sooiety, but unable to Ilttend the

servICe. r egularly, may become an Assoeiat.e, \vith the privilege of r eceiving the Monthly List nnd such other publications as the Committee mn.y 1rolU time to time determine, upon payment of an nnnua l subscription the amount of wh ich is optional, the minimum being­fivo shi llings. Subscriptions may be paid in the Library or sent to the Hon. R egistrl\r of Mpmhr .. s "ud AssocilLtes at above address.

SUNDAY MORNINQ SERVICES. The following DISCOURSES will be delivered on Sunday mornings,

Service beginning at ELEVEN O'CLOCK.

De cember 31.- JOSEPH McCABE.-Eugenic Fallacies.

{ 1. Happy is the mlLn ... ... . ..

Anthems 2. Ring ou t, wild bells (No. 74) ...

{NO.85. Scorn not the slightest word or deed.

IIymns Ko. 03. All before us lies the \vD.y.

January 7.-HERBERT BURROWS.- The Twenty-1lrst Century. Anthems {]. 'I'he \\ orld may change

2. Song- for t he New Ycar

Hymns {No. 06. All are architects of fate. No. 35. Ye mom en t s of eternal lime.

January 14.- JOEN A. HOBSON, M.A.-A Man-made World. Anthems {1. Th e worldly hope ... ... . ..

~. rrhis world is not a J-Iectillg show .. .

IIymns {No. 8·1. All common things-each day's events. No. 711. ]~ing out, wild bells, to the wild sky.

P'fout Trollssello

Mendels80/m SchumanJl

Le/lman1l C,wsc/lmmm

January 21. - NORMAN ANGELL.- politlcal Idealism in International Relations. Anthems {1. I will wasl~ my h ands in innocency llopki1l8

2. 0 source dwine ... ... ... Goet=

Hymns {NO.8. All m en are equal in their birth. No. ]05. N ow comes the light for which our soul s }mve sought.

January 28. - JOHN RUSSELL, M.A.- Joys, True and False. Anthems {]. It surely is a wasted heart (No. 27)

2. A psalm of lHe ... ... .. . . ..

IIymns {No. 62. Prune thou thy worn s. the thoughts control. No. 60. IIe li \'e th long. who Ih'etb well.

Collet K'iIl7"os,

Visitors are invited to obtain infonnation regardi71U the Societ1! in the Library on Sunday mornings .

A Oollection is made (It the close of each Service to enable those present to contribute to the expenses of the Society.

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Sunday School. The Ohildren meet .. t Annfield's Hotel, opposite the CHAPEL, ov.~ Sunday Mornins-,

at 11, nnd their lesson is given during the d,scourse. 11embers and rnends wishing theIr children to attend 8chool nrC' reqnested to communicate with the SC'Crctnry.

Tbe Cllildren's Librarv, in the class-room over the Vestry, is open every Sundny Morn. Ing before and after tbe service.

January 7.- Mrs. Arklay. January l4.-Mr. W. Varian. January 21.-Mr. F. J. Gould. January 2S.-Mr. Duncanson.

. . {MiSS GRACE GOWINO Hon. L,brarian. Miss S. WATTA.

Visitoro bringing children to the Sunday Morning servioes are cordially invited to allow them to attend tb. Children's lesson.

Oye/i.t. deBiring to atteltd th. SeT";e •• are informed thaf tlte Oommittee Ita"e made arrangement8 lor houling their machines in the basement.

The Building is to be let for Meetings, etc. Forms of Application may be had of the Caretaker, 11 South Place, E.C.; and when filled up should be sent to Mr. N. Lidstone, 96 Blackstock Road, Finsbury Park, N.

The Chapel is licensed for Marriages. Arrangements can be made for the conduct of Funeral Services on application

to the Secretary. Lending Library.

Tb. Lendillg Libr .. ry is open free to Members of tile Sooiety nnd Season Tioket Holders on Sunday mornings beforo and nfter the Services. Assooiates nnd Non-Members of tho Society may under certain conditioDlI be granted the uae ot the Library upon payment of a subsoription of 2s. 6d. per nnnum. The Oatnlogue, including a supplement for WOS-i, is now on snl~, price 6d., mterleaved copies, Od. Borrowers mny procure copies of the ncw supplement gratis on applioation. ubscriptioD8 towards the pnrchase and repair of books are invited.

L · \ Miss MAnY RAWLINGS, 406, Mare Street, Hnckncy, N.E. Hon. .brarians) W Atr,IS MANSFORD, Oberry Tree Court, 53, Aldersgate Street, E.C.

Rambles. January 13.- Donaldson Collection of Musical Instruments, Royal College of

Music, Prince Consort Road, South Kensington, S.W. Meet ontsido 2.30. p.m. Special IflCilitics will "0 granted the POTty.

January 27. - Gibson Collection of Sculptures, Royal Academy of Arts, Burlington House, W. MeaL outside 2.30. p.m.

'1'h(l Oomll1itte-e have decided thn jn future the ltnmbler.a' ensnn sl1nll terminate on :March :n of ench yrn.r ; therefore the prcse~t (twctll..,·-lifth) seuson will b" ('onti.nuNl until the cnd of Mnrch next. No extrn. churg-f' wllI be made to those nlready possessing tiekets for 1911. New ""nblers cnn obtain tickcts for the reDlnining pnrt of the course nt " reduce,1 fee of la. 6d., from

ERNEST S. KING, Hon. Src., 20, nadipole Rond, Full'tl.lll, S.W.

Ramblers' Dances. Thl' RamhlC'l's' fortnig-htly danr-€'s will l)(' held on Hu.turdIl.Yb .. Innun)"", 20. Fl'urulll'Y :3

ond 17 (Lenp Yellr J)1lll{"('). Murti' 2 nnd 16, lnl2, n.t Armfield's HOLel, South 1'lnoo. nt i p.ll!. Huhscription (including- li ght rell·eshment.s) , 28. per dnnec. Full pnriiellinrs lllny lx' h",i Oil n ppl iClltion lo the

lIon. S('rrctary, M'UD BARM',E", Dunkerry, Rydncy Rond , Muswdl 11 ill , N.

New Year's Dance . Thl' .\nnulll \' l' W Yl'ur's 0011('(" of nl'('mhl')"s find fri('ntls wiJl hp hrll1 nt C:I:'>..tOI1 H:III.

\\'pstmiusll'l'. K\r. (Il fl'\\-' minutes fl'OIll Ht .. 111111C'8'8 Park :-itatiol1l. (In :-\nhl1'dll\ .Ianllnry n, 1!H2. at i p.lI!. rri('krts, including rcfl'l'shnll'nts,'s. l"lH'h. muy bl' JlI1d froill tlUY IIll'lllb('r (If th(" Dlln('{' COlllmitt('c, or in the LihraJ'Y Ht South l>lllt'l', 01' frolll til l"

liun Secretaru, iHJ~s AIA Ull BAltRALET, Dunkcrry, Sydney Hond , Muowell Hill , ~.

1\nnual ehildren's Party. The .\nI1111\1 Childrrn's Paxty will be held n.t Rnuth Plu('(' nn 1'11I'sc1uy .. 10nlllll'\' !J. 1~J12.

~\ piu\' t.~lItitll'd ... TIrol Life find Dream Lnnd" will bC' JwJ'foI'IlH,<llJy ("hiJ(ll'l'n.~ (;IlTnI'S ,· lJJUH"{';' r(c.; (i--n (doors open 5.30) . 'rickets. including- light N'fr('Hl!lllCllLS, ll<lulls i ... chilr1n'n (kI. , mny be had on aPJJlicnhon to the ~('(:retilrie-s; 11150 obtuinnbJe in the 1.ibl'nI'Y, South PlnN·.

lIon. Secs. {R. BERTnA BAllTIA T.F.'J', Dunkerry, Sydnry TIond J 'Mllswcll RHIJ

N. MAOD BARRAr.E'tI " "

eonnty eouncil School ehildren's Treat. The Annunl Trent given to "bout 300 poor children im'it.d from fonr of the C.C.

Schools in the neighbourhood of South Plnee will b. held on .I'mnnQ· 10, Wl~. A sub­scription list will be on the Librnry tnble, and contribn ions will be welcomed. Mrs. LmSTONl' will be plt'Med to givo nny informntion if reql1ired.

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South Place Hockey <2lub • . ~ Oluh h"-9 he en formed under tllO nOlllr of the Routl, Plorr llorkry Club, r.onsistilll"

of IIH'l1lb('l's llud fril'nds. A g-rollnd lUls 1I(''('n ll<'quir l'f1 nt Hndfortl nnnc! \\,It.1I1n n fl'w lIliUlltt'S of (;nlrlt'rs (:r(,I' l1 Tllhl' l'4tntion. Whl'l'{' 11I£'1lI1Jl' l"s plny ('vl'ry Hntul'!ln.y f1"(l.1II 2.;{O to '1.:10 J,.m. Lndil'l) nnd ~('ntlt'IIJ{> n wishinu to join nre r<'qut.'st('d t(l rnn1111 11n1l'.utC' with the

110n. St;c., lUroli . L]D~TON; OA'fIl£llAU., 71£ , ])[orgnn l\rnnsions, lIighbury, N.

Moncure <2onway Memorial. Th ,.. third ]\fPlllol"inl I."l'hl l'(, will 11l' g-iVl'l1 ut notlth Pln te on }i' ridll Y. It't'bru:lI"Y ~J. 11J

1\11". " 'JLI.IAM ~\lt CJn.lt, 1)11 •• 4\.rt unu thl' COIlIl110JlWral."

( C. Jt'J,rn'IUdI SWIll, TloII. SCI·.' .. 1 .11,mm DJ:I,n:.

Season Tickets, 1912. 'Pill' 'I'n-l'nty third S('rit'~ (\' 4) is now hC'ing issu('d. ~ TIH1Sl' ull'I111Jf'rs \\'1)0 ha,'(' nut ~:tlt

Ollt.ui lH'd their St"ll,S on Tickets I:iliouJcl oppl,V fit ont't' to rllf', " lloll. S,·c .. \\". '(' ,\Vrxcl:Y n. Flnsbllr~' Pnveml'n . E.C.

Sunday Vovular eoncerts (<2hamber Music). 'rh e TWENTY-RIX'I'H SF._\f;;:O~ ",HI he rontin urd l'very ~lInclll,\' un fi l fnrthrf noti('(.',

RLAYONIC OONCI.~n'J'.-Tllt' I ('('ond Half of tht' Ht'HSon will lWg'in on Rnndns, ,Tllnun r.r i, at 7 p.ll!. (do'ol's G_30), with u Rlavonir Con("('rt. r,'he progl'nlllllH;' wiIl in('ludt' rl,'8Ch:1.~kowskyI8, Htring Sextet. (~rst IwdorlHNl in Ll~udnn nt th~ c .CoDcr rls) j. Dvor~k's H<"!nutmn. for Pltl.nOfortl· ::\11<1 Ywlln j Ilnd HnH'tnnn's Plnnofol'h' TrIo. rh~' r,n llo\nn g art] ts wilL o.ppl'nr flll this ()('cnsion: 1st Yioiin, Mr. John Sn.unc1l'l'S: 2nd VIOlin. 1\Ir. Chnrl("s \\"uod hol1 H': 1st Yioln. :l1I·. 1':l"nt'"'8t long-t'; 2nd Yioln, :Mr. L{'nnox CJnyton i 1st Yiolonce llo , ~I.r . Ohul'l('. cl. CI':1bhe: 2nd Yiololl"('ll,,. : l'iunofortr, Mr. RichArd n. \\ I\lthew: Y{)cnlist,

,Tnn unl'Y 14. ~1. 28. ~l'l' }Jl og"rnmmf' nnnoltn('('UH'nts . Doors OpOI\ at 6.:{O p.1\I C01lcel't" at 7 p.m. Ar1mis::;lOll free, wlt.h collection. r.I.'rnnsfClab1C

ttclc et, :?s, lid. (or ;~s, (id. inelllnirq,{ l:lI'ngrnmnH.~ w( lily by p ost), nrlm itting to the reservert heats .,'Vl'I"Y S nndllS to Mnrrh 24 inrIus"'",,.

COllllllith'(' 'M(~('tjngs on ~und:t.Ys. ,lnnunry i :md 21. at G p.llJ. ]1unC'iuully.

110n. Trea •. -FRANK A. HAWKINS. 13. Thurlow Park Rond , Dulwich, S.E. non. SoC.-ALFltED J. CrF."ENTs. 25, Camden Road, N.W. A.8St. Hon. ,~ec.-VINCl·:Yj' SnlwwRu .... n . 2;\ \Voorlherr.Y 01'0\'0, Fir1shnry l'ar!c N.

4i:)rchestra. Conductor: Richard H, Wa1thew.

PI':\l'fi('I~~ will lw noSlIIlH:d on ,Tlln ll ~ lr:y 5. l!lE!, and cnntinuNl on BJ'iduys. i till !J. SU1i::.<'riptitlll for half.s('n:3fl1t. IOs. Gd. .

Works PfOPO"'C'(] for .Tann:lD" pr :lC'tiN'S: 8/1111/111011;";.1" Br'thovl'lI, \"0. 2 nn(l Nu. j : Uuydn. No. ~ nnd No . 4 ; Mozllrt.. ~o. :m nnd .;'\0. :JR. O/'('tlun~: M t' IH1 " lsbohn's .. lI. (>ilridl'b": Ll { .. i ssigc r 's" :Fl'lsC'nnl1lhl t," and" Yl'h·J\.": \\"cl1l'l" s .. Ohf'l"on": Rossilli'b ,. Cl'n(, l·l'ntola." ()I/If'r lI"orl· .... : Pal" ry'!) ,. I..ndy U ndnor's Suit£' " j Gnd(."s .. ~m·{'llcH-t'n."

TIIl'n' art· 1\ I'ew " IH't.mC'iC's fill' string. Ludi<:s find g'entll.'uH'Jl wishing to joiu Ill'l' 1'(''1ut..'sh'd to C'CllII1l1lUlicnh' with

UOIl. Sec., E .. r. }o'AJRIIALL, 11, BishojlS .I.wnue, UJlton lInnor, E.

Discussions for the Study of Rationalism and Ethics.

(Under the aU" ri ce. of thl' ]l.P.A .. Ltd., nnd the South PIO('e Ethicnl ,ociety.) \t Hnnth P11\('(' (,IIIlIlt I. Slll1th Pl al'l', E.C. llol'hdghtlv un uncI ufh'r " -l'dnl'..sduy,

.1anuary 17. 1!n~, at i.:H1 }I,III. ..

.lanll '"·,Y IT.-IT. O""N XJ.\\'I.I~I}, .. '1'111'; JX flH)X I'I'Y OF L.\HOl· I1. " ,I IIIlUII",Y al.-H. Ct'TNIII, .. 'I'll I·; l' 1l0l' .I(J.\'I'IOX F JL\TIO_', I Ll t')f." Ii'llla'uH I's U.- \V .. \ 'I'"KLN:i ... rr n (TTI! ] i\1 PJ,~ Jt.lfl'n"' lt" Fohl'nll"Y 28.- F. \I. Rlln ... KrlllC:-; .I:\IJ 'I'llE (,1',-.·OH~JlII'." ) 11Il'C'iJ l:l.-J~. F. EIlI1'NOTON, .. TH!; IrI'JIWt' OF (:nJZI';.'SHTI'." ;\11I1'{'h 27.- ]1. n. I. "d·\I.IN, .. TU I'; HlGlTT ' I'D I'RTV 1'1'1, LIJlK" Sllh~~'qlll'nt J)i H(' tI!; sinnb will ht· opt'nNl 1,y: Mr. \\"11.1.1.\:\1 H\WI.IM.:i 011 .. JIllIlIOI·taJiI,

a,ml gtilJ('s'~: 1\11'. W. C. \r.\lH~. ,I Mt'. C;ould IIn(l till' Fllrlll'~ of nntil)lI111i~IIJ"; )Ir. ]1. Sr.'l IONH; Mr. F. )1. O\TIU; Mr. ~t:w, AND •. , .\n' " '-t, :t 1)<'c'H,ving- H:H'l'("

Ot IIl~r~ willing tn ~in' pnr'i'rR should 8('ncl thrir names uncI !l{]<1rl's.sc6 to tlil' 11 (1n. Ht.~crctnry (pro tt'm.) • . 1 tlU.\N llo:-n:t, JIG. King-'s .\ 'vrnur, C1nl'hnm Pnrk, 8. W .

..;\ dmission Fn'('. 1Irmh('rs of f4~thiC'nl llJul otll(T ~()('it'til\Y arl:' eordinlly inyited .

. 'I'll !' (:ENLU \T, ClHI\ll'rTH will 1I11'!'t (,n Thlll'sdn~· .. lnn11:1),Y I. ("'nl'ff'Ppon<ipnC'(' u{'ulin.L:' wlth ruflttcrs for consi<l!'rntion should be forwurdl'd to F. W: Hend at the enrli ost possible moment. A~l mnUcrs tela,ti n,:! tn fillan('(' shollld he' nd,l r ('!;sC"'ll t.o tho rr ' f'fi!i'illlC'f· .

Secretan •• 01 sub·committee. or" notified thn t handbill s intended to be circult,tcd with the ~!onthly Li.t .ho1lld he delivered to 'J'he Utopin Press, 44, Worshir Street, E.C. It. i. hoped thnt tho.e secretaries \\'h o have nddres.es of persons interested in their work (other t han Membe.rs. Assoc!n~('s. or Senbon Ticket Rolders) will cor.uruunicntc them. with n. view to ,uch persons rece IVIng the Monthly List regularly.

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NOTES AND COMMENTS. 11 it" 111;3 i'31'" U/ tlte ,llUIL(II1" "iRI (I 1<'orlll 0/ .1pplicat.ion for JJ.rlllbrlHhip is ('lIclosrd

11'1111 ('ath CUf/!).

1'.IJlTll'll..l!! interest attaches to the Sunday Morning Service to be held on January 21, when Mr. :\orman Angell (author of "The Great lllusion") will del i\ er a discuu rse on ., l'olitical Idealism in 1 nternational l{elations." It is huped that all members and friends will attend on this occasion.

DEFICIT I~XT1. CTION FUND. I'm; Deficit Extinction Fund now amounts to £107. The additional memo bers and friends who have subscribed are: Miss G. Gowing, L. IIerzig J. ~~. ~ruir, c. Pollard; and the profit fro III the )vhist drive has also been recelVed.

TILE ETUr . , UF TIlE 'L\H.IFF PROBLEM. 'I'm;!!,; appears to be a tendency to regard the Tariff controversy as if it were merely an economic problem or a party question, which scarcely concerns us from an ethical point of view; and yet no one would dispute that in private life the care and manab'ement of money is a matter of profound moral importance, or would contend that ethics have nothing to do with the vices of the spendthrift, the miser, or the swindler, because those vices are fiscal.

"either can we regard the problems of national economics as in any less degree que'tions oi ethics; nor should we shirk the discussion of a subject because it has become the ground d acute party strife; and therefore uo apology is needed for discussing the ethical aspects of Protection, or, as is nuw fashionable te call it, Tariff Reform.

As a preliminary, however, we must explain our view oi the elementary facts of the con trover y, since obviously we cannot deal with the moral aspects of any problem without a clear comprehension of it. Protection llleans the imposition of a tax upon the importation of any commodity, the supply of which is obtained both from home and foreign production. \Ye must considel whether the objects for which this particular method of taxation is advocated ought to receive our approval. Does it distribute the burden of taxation with abholute justice between different classes of the community? Are any of its ulterior effects morally injurious?

Adam Smith laid down two maxims with regard to taxes in general, which wc think will be of value in forming a judgment on these questions:

I. The subjects of every State ought to contribute towards the support of the government as nearly as possible in proportion to their respectil'e abilities-that is, in proportion to the revenue which they respectively enjoy under the protection of the State. The expense of government to the IIldividuals uf a great nation is like the expense of management to tbe joint tenants of a great estate, who are all obliged to contribute in proportion to their respecti I'e interests in the estate.

~. Ev('ry tax ought to be so contrived as both to take out and to keep out of the pockets of the people as little a possible over and above wbat it brings into the public treasury of the State.

We shall show that the object of Protection is a violation of both these rules; that, in fact, it is because they are violated that Protection is advo­cated, and that in such a direction as to be wholly indefensible,

This can perhaps be shown best by means of an illustration. The effect of the German duty on wheat may be taken as an example, the figures being' for the year 1907, as given by l'roIessor Brentano, of Munich.

Calculating on the supposition that without an import duty the price of wheal would be the ame as the world or Free Trade price-an assumption not mathematically correct, but slltTicient for practical purposes-we find that the Cerman people paid as an increment to the price of wheat in round figures £u,<;oo,ooo. Of this sum £:;,000,000 went to the Imperial Treasury as ( 'ustOl.l" revenue un importerl wheat, and £7,500,000 to private persons as an increa 'e in the price of home-grown wheat. .

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Clearly tbe most important fact that emerges from a consideration of tbese results is tbat it takes £7,500,000 "out of the pockets of the people ovel and above what H brings into the public treasury of the State."

In spite of the fact that tbis sum goes into private hands, it is unques· tionably. in its nature a tax. 'Ne must look to its origin rather than to its de ' tl1latlon 111 order to see it in its right moral perspective. We are forced, therefore, to the conclusion that the protective system is es~entially an ingenious device by which a favoured few dip their hands into the public purse and secure part of the taxes.

It may be said that there are exceptions to the above-quoted maxims of taxahon, where, as in the case of paupers and old age pensioners, it has been agreed that it is right for the community to tax itself for the benefit of tbe few. It is not difficult, however, to show that the beneficiaries of Protection form the wealthiest section of the people, and that their enrichment at the public expense aggravates social ineqIJalities, making the rich richer and tbe poor poorer. .

In the case of food taxes, we believe that economists agree tbat the owners of agricultural land are the sole beneficiaries, since a rise in tbe pric~ of food immediately raises the yalue of the farm on which it is pro· duced. How grossly unjust is the incidence of such taxation may be appreciated by means of another reference to tbe actual effect of food taxes in Germany.

It is estimated that they have caused a rise in the value of land of 34 to 36 per cenl., so that the owner of an estate wortb £100,000 has put into his pocket about £35,000 by means of food taxes; and if he buys the ame amount of food as a workman on his estate earning 15s. a week, he con· tributes no more in taxation. The richer man has money given to him; tbe poorer man has money taken from him. It is obvious that in no case can th~re be any pretence that protective duties fall with tbe greatest weight on those best able to bear them.

vVith regard to Protection against foreign manufactured good, undoubtedly some manufacturers would be benefited by a rise in the price of the produce of their factories, but others would lose through the injury done to the export trade. It need hardly be argued at length to intelligent persons that the balance between imports and exports must be maintained, and that if we shut out foreign goods we can no longer profitably export the goods which pay for them.

As to the rest of the community consisting probably of more than 95 per cent. of the population, everyone would be poorer under Protection owing to increased cost of living, or, as it might be put, through having to pay taxes io tbe shape of higher prices to the remaining 5 per cent.

It is oeces ary here to expres our convictton that there is no truth whatever in the contention that free importation causes unemployment. \"Ve believe, on the contrary that it very much diminishes it, and a. the subject is so important we will indicate very briefly the line of reasoning which leads to that conclusion. .

In the present state of the controversy it is neces ary to insist on the obvi us fact that the remedy for unemployment is not to be found in an increase of labour, but in an increase of the reward of labour; and the real reward of labour is to be measured by the purcha ing power of the gruss amount of wages paid in the country. This depends absolutely on the supply of goods to be purcha,ed. The importation of foreign goods increases the supply, and therefore to encourage importation i the best mean of increasing the real wages of labour, and thus increasing employment.

This view is supported by experience, for statistics show that whenever there IS a decline in importation, unemployment increases; and a rise in the amount of imports is always followed by a fall in unemployment. This IS exactly what we ought to expect when we remember that the imports which come to this country are in reality the wages of labour. It probably does not occur to many of us that the reason that a larger population has gathered 111 London than in any other city in the world, and that more people find employmellt her than in any other place on the surface of the earth, is because London is one of the most accessible spots in the world and can draw its supplies easily from every country in the world; in other words, the

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reason tbat a larger number of people find employment tban at any otber place is cheapness of imports.

From the above considerations it i evident that Protection is a kind of inverted Socialism, which proclaims as one of the normal functions of government the transfer of money from the poorer classes into the pockets of the propertied classes. A Frenchman expressed this epigrammatically when he said: "Le Protectionnisme est le Social is me bourgeois; le Socialisme est le Protectionnisme proIetaire."

We need, therefore, no longer hesitate to denounce Protection as an insidious form of robbery, using the word, not in an abusive or metaphorical sense, but as a plain statement of fact.

That charge constitutes the primary. ethical objection to protective legislation.

We say also that it is an insidious form of robbery, because in so far as its advocacy consists in presenting to uneducated men the grossest travesties of history and economic science, it degenerates into a method of obtaining money by false pretences. Its upporters have always sedulously taught that high prices mean high wages; but, as the historian of English Labour, Professor Thorold Roger, says: "As wages do not rise with prices, no crime against Labour is more injurious than expedients adopted on the part of government which tend to raise prices." To prove the truth of this it ought to be su.fficien~ to quote the fact that when the price of wheat wa eighty to one hundred shillings per quarter, the labourer who grew it earned only five to eight shillings a week; and when the price fell to thirty shillings per quarter he earned fourteen or more shillings a week.

Another and profoundly important objection to Protection is its demoral· ising effect upon the character of public men. The explanation of this phenomenon will perhaps be more convincing if given in the words of an authority who has watched the process of deterioration in his own country:

"The American electorate," says Professor Laughlin, of Chicago, "is not more venal than that of other countries-such as England, for example; but a system under which the rise or fall of great industries depends upon a vote of Congress puts an enormous premium on the corrupt use of money in elections. ",Then industries owe their existence, not to exceptional skill, situation, climate, or natural resources, but to a slender majority in a vote of Congress, the indu trial situation mu t always be highly artiiicial and unstable .... Once establish protective duties, even at a low level-no matter on what grounds, imperial or local-and heavy campaign funds will inevitably be drawn to support the candidates of the party pledged to main· tain the new duties. A new motive is introduced; it is not whether you approve this or that foreign policy, this or that position on the army, this or that educational scheme but whether your personal pecuniary interests will be secured by the election of a certain man.

"There comes in the damaging confusion between political principles and elf-interest-which is the very essence of bribery. As a consequence there

arises a kind of candidate for office, not becausll he has convictions on public questions, but because he is expected to vote for iron or for ale. There are thus created conditions which lower both the moral tone of the electors and the character of the public officials. "-l1ldustrial A merica, page 55.

Profes or Laughlin considers the ordinary demagogue a clean person to the man who takes his seat in the Senate, "knowing that he would not be there were he not willing to vote and act, not as the representative of all the people, but as the attorney for large private interests."

Another evil caused by tariffs has wrought unspeakable mischief in tbe past, but is not so greatly to be feared at the present day. One of the conse. quences of high import duties has been that in all parts of Europe there have arisen armed gangs of smugglers whose business was to evade the law. A new class of criminal was called into existence by the law, who, as Buckle said, "contaminated the surrounding population; introduced into peaceful villages vices formerly unknown; caused the ruin of entire families; spread, wherever they came, drunkenness, theft, and dissoluteness; and familiarised their associates with those coarse and swinish debaucheries which were the natural habits of so vagrant and lawless a life. The innumerable crimes arising from this are directly chargeable upon the European governments by whom they were provoked."

'I A milder form of the same evil is the deceit, perjury, and bribery con­

stantly practised in order to evade a tariff_ Few people believe that smug­gling is really wrong, or would be ashamed of telling such stories as the following, which Mr. Henry George relates about his fellow -travellers in a Pennsylvanian express_ One of them remarked to the Custom I-louse inspector that he was in a hurry. "How much of a hurry?" said the officer. "Ten dollars' worth of hurry." "That's not much of a hurry for all this." For ten dollars more the officer chalked the trunk.

Another traveller presented him with a fine meerschaum pipe, and a third simply placed a crumpled note in the officer's hands with his keys.

There is no reason to suppose that Englishmen would always resist the temptations which a high tariff would put in their way, and it is the law which deliberately creates the temptation. To make a legal crime of that which is no crime against morals is to destroy respect for law, and a system which provokes evasion, perjury, and corruption is itself a crime.

Lastly, what is perhaps the gtavest -evil of all those that result from tariffs i that they are a fruitful cause of international animosities and of war.

The false economic theories on which Protection is founded lead men to look upon foreign nations solely in the light of trade rivals. Trade is regarded simply as a competition in which each nation is struggling to undersell the others, instead of-what it really is-a friendly interchange of commodities, which is advantageous to all concerned. Protectionist litera­ture largely consists of gloomy references to the growth of German com­merce and pessimistic comparisons between our trade and that of foreign competitors. It seems to be assumed that the prosperity of other countries is injurious to our welfare, and that their trade can exist only at our expense. That view cannot be better answered than in the words of Hume, written more than 160 years ago: "In opposition to this narrow and malignant opinion, I will venture to assert that the increase of riche and commerce in anyone nation, instead of hurting, commonly promotes the riches and com­merce of all its neighbours; and that a tate can scarcely carry its trade and industry very far where all the surrounding State are buried in ignorance, sloth, and barbarism."

Protectionists appear to forget that foreigners are our customers as well as rivals, and that whatever impoverishes a tradesman's cu tomers is injurious to his business.

Tariff wars must inevitably cause international ill-feeling, and we believe that tariffs have in some cases been the direct cause of the outbreak of hostilities. It is said that a tariff war between France and Holland was one of the immediate causes of the war of 1672. J. S. Mill said that "the feelings of rival tradesmen prevailing among nations over-ruled for centuries all sense of the general community of advantage which commercial countries derive from the prosperity of one another, and that commercial spirit, which is now one of the strongest obstacles to wars, was during a certain period of European history their principal cause."

ince these word were written, tile revival of Protectionist teaching is again stimulating the international animosities that are founded on false theories of polltical economy, and which are at all times a powerful factor in the causation of war.

When we look back upon the past, and reflect upon these things-the wars, the aggravation of poverty, the injustice, the corruption of public life, the gratuitous creation of crime, which result from ignorance of economic science, human greed and selfishness-does it not seem worth while to inform oursel ves of the facts and to reason correctly on them?

The monstrous superstitions on which I roteclionism is founded, such as that wealth consists exclusively of money, that importation represents loss and exportation gain, have been exposed by scores of the ablest writers, and there is now no excuse for continuing to believe in them.

The present phases of the controversy-pleas for olonial preference, retaliation, fair trade, and so on-are mere incidents in a worldwide struggle that has its roots deep in human nature. It has gone on for centuries and will endure for centuries to come, but the important matter for us is that whatever influence we possess should be exerted for no personal ends, but on the side of right and justice. C. E. S.

8

HeNeRARY eFFH!BRS. Trrasurer ... ... ... ... W. RAWLINGS, 406, Mnr~ Street, Hackney, N.E. S'c ctar/es { Mr •. C. FLETCIJElt SMITH, 17, Rydanhatn Park, S.E.

I r . ... ... ... ... F.'~. READ. 65, HI1rloy Road, IIarleadcn, N.W.

n('Y1~~~;i:{c;te,~~~,'~~. a'~~l} Miss H . M. }<'AlRII.If,L, 8, Scarborollgl, Rand, Stroud Grcen, N.

Hditor 0/ Monthly List... W. L. lIURTIN, 87, Ln.dy lIfargar<>t Rond, 'rnfncll 1'lIrk, N. . . { Miss MARY HAWf,lNOS, 406, Mllro Stre<>t, Hackney, N .E.

L,brarwn. ... ... .. . ... "'ALI,IS MANsronD, Cherry Tree Court, 53, A1dersgate Street, RC. Rebuilding Fund Trustees {J. R. CARTER, Conrtficld, R?ss Rood, Wanington, Surrey.

Mrs . Br,ACKDURN. G. D UNN. G. OATBBnALL. D r. A. DeLVE. R F. EnRINGTON. E. J. FAIRD ... L.

Building Concert Decora t i on Discus sion Finance Ins t i tute .. .

E. CUNNINOllAM, Gl, CIHmpslde, E.C .

Membe r s o f General eommitte e . H . B . GOWING . F. lI£. OVERT. Miss F. A. LAw. Mrs, E. G. OVERT. N. LIDSTONE. Miss M. PIT'I'S. Mrs. LIDSTONE. Mi8s MARY RA WLINGS. W. r.. MARTIN. Miss RsBs.

Secretaries of Sub~eommittees.

Mr.. ScuDAlIonl . B. SrMoNS. M ra, SYlIONB. E . Wnr.1AlI •. 'r. R. WnronT

]11, HERUEUT MANSFORD, Wn.lden, Kings-end. Ruislip. Ar,HlED .1. elEMENTS, 25, Cnmdt'n Rond, N.'V. Mrs. LIDS'l'ONE·OATUERAIJL, 7h, Morgnn Mansions, Highbury. N . W. C. WADE, 67. Petherton Hood, N. F. M. 0, EnT, 20, Boyne Rand, Lewisham, S.E.

Members .. . Mus ic Publicati ons Rambles ... Season Ticket

Mrs. C. FLETCIIER ,M[Tll, H. vdenham Park, .E. FlUNK ,A. HAWKINS, 13, Thuriow Park Rond, Dulwich, S.E. .1. 11. DUNCANSON ... H. Maida Hill West, W. E. . KING, 20, J~ndipole Road, Fulham, .W. 'V. T. WrXCEY, 41, Fmsbury Pavement, B.O.

Soiree Miss MAUD BARIUI,ET, " ., " {Miss BERTIlA BARl'A',ET, Dunkerry, Sydney Rond, MusweJl Hill, N.

Sunday School ... {Mi" F. A. T~AW, 59, Montpcli.er Rand, Peckh"m, .E . Mrs. ST. AuurN, 18, Emperor's Gnte, .W.

Org anist H. 'mTIl IVCUSTElt, 53, Loraine Hottd, Hollown.y, N.

Seorehrie. of Sab·Committees are reminded thn.t it is import"nt to noti fy the Onretaker of date a.nd time of Oomm itteo meetings.

New M em ber s: DISTRICT.

NB Mrs. CoweRR. G. F"eshford House, G1onoester Street. 13I00Il1s11n1'Y. IY.0. S G Miss MELOTTC, 11. IIycle Vale, Greomvieh, . g.

New As soci a t e : Mrs . E,\ METCAl,r, t. Bedes, He rill on Hill, South Woodf"rd.

Ma.rriage : December 4, Fr.oRENc£ LID!:fTONE to PEncr ST. JOllN DIXON.

Ch ange of Addres s : DISTRICT.

S G Mrs. C. FLCTCRER llITII to 17, ydcnhnm Park. S.E.

For Sale : Electric Light Fittin~~.-Tb.e Sooiety has for disposal about threc dozen glass shades

for single burners, and ton mstal brn.ckets for duplex pendants. Mem!:>ers and friends .blt· to make use of these arc invited to npply to the C:trdnkcr or in tht' Library on Sun dny mornings.

DIARY FeR .JANUARY. JANUARY

4 General Committee meets 7 p.m. 5 OrChestra practice 7 p.m. 6 New Year Dance, Caxlon

Hall, 'Westminster ... 7 p.m. 7 Service & Sunday School 1 I a.m. 7 Popular Concert .. . 7 p.m. 9 Annual Children's Party 6 p.l11.

12 Orchestra practice 7 p.l11. 13 Ramble: Donaldson Col-

lection, Roya l College of Music 2.30 p.m.

14 Service & Sunday chool 11.0 a.m. 14 Popular Concert 7 p.m.

JANUARY 17 D i ·cussion. S. P. Chapel 19 Orchestra practice 20 Ramblers' Dance . .. 2 I Service & Sunday School 21 Popular Concert 26 Orchestra Practice 27 Ramble: Gibson Collec­

tion, Hoyal Academy of

7.30 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 r·m. Il a.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m.

Arts ... 2.30 p. m. 28 28 31

Service & Sunday chool II a.m. Popular Concert ... 7 p.m. Discussion. S. P. Chapel 7.30 p.m.

N. B.- A.ll communications for the Monthly List should be fo rwarded NOT LATEn tlian the 15th of the previous month to W. L. MARTIN (8ce addreas above).