A glance at the statistics of Mr. Giffen seems to indicate this, for whilst the consumption per head of those commodities which are termed necessaries of life, have only increased 33 to 40 per cent. respectively, the consumption of those which may be considered luxuries--namely, tea and sugar--have increased 232 and 260 per cent. respectively. Again, statistics show that, whilst the other classes of the community have increased in number by 335 per cent. of late years, the working classes have only increased by 6½ per cent. In other words, the unproductive classes have increased largely, but, whilst there is only 6½ per cent. _numerical_ increase in the productive classes, their labour has decreased by 20 per cent. from shorter hours of labour. The drones in the hive have increased very largely, and the workers have not done so, but have developed an alarming taste for honey. The question of waste of wealth would be comparatively of minor importance were it not seriously complicated by the existence of Free Trade; but we have now to confront the fact, that, in the present day, we have to pay 50 per cent. more money for 20 per cent. less labour than we did forty years ago; whilst Free Trade brings into the market the products of the keen competition of a thrifty and parsimonious class of workmen who accept lower wages and work longer hours. The result must be a gradual extinction of our industries: Cotton and woollen industries are struggling hard for existence.[53] Silk manufacture is dying out. Iron industries in a bad way. Gloomy predictions are made respecting the shipping trade. Agriculture is rapidly becoming extinguished. English pluck, capital, and credit are struggling manfully against disaster, but the struggle cannot last much longer; capital is sustained by credit; and credit is receiving heavy and repeated blows from unremunerative industries. Meanwhile, high wages and extravagant habits are not the best training for the millions that will be thrown out of employment when the crash comes. Your prophet, Adam Smith, though an advocate for the repeal of the Corn Laws, foresaw and forewarned you of these consequences, as follows:-- “If the free importation of Foreign manufactures were permitted, several of the Home manufactures would probably suffer, and some of them perhaps go to ruin altogether.”[54] Verily, my Friend, you are like a shipowner who congratulates himself that his sailors were never so well off before--never went aloft less--never kept fewer watches--never remained so much in their warm beds: meanwhile the devoted ship is drifting slowly, but surely, on to the rocks.[55] FOOTNOTES: [52] ‘Political Economy,’ by J. S. Mill, Bk. I. Chap. V.