MILLING AS A RUINED INDUSTRY.
[To THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR.'] SIR,—Your correspondent, Mr. Booth, gives some very inter- esting facts about the milling trade in Liverpool in the Spectator of August 15th. The state of things in Glasgow is very similar. As is pretty well known, an entire revolution in milling methods was brought about by the adoption of what was then known as "Hungarian process" milling by the millers of the United States. This change in the American milling system took place in the early "seventies," and in a few years thereafter American millers began to sell flour in British markets of a quality and at prices with which British millers, working on the old millstone process, could not com- pete. The universal opinion amongst British millers at that time was that this flour was a mere surplus sold under cost, or, in modern phrase, " dumped." It was generally believed that American millers were selling it at such a heavy loss that in course of time the flow of this "dumped" flour would cease. As, however, the flood of American flour steadily in- creased, British millers became seriously alarmed ; and the Glasgow millers sent a memorial to the British Government asking that a tax should be placed on imported flour, so as to permit of their continuing in the business. The Government, however, gave them so little encouragement that they saw there was no chance of making money through the Custom House, and that their only hope was to remodel their mills. This they proceeded to do, and being men of capacity and energy, they were very soon competing on equal terms with the millers of the United States, and also of the Canadian North-West, who had by that time entered the field as ex- porters. Since the Glasgow millers remodelled their mills they have shown all the outward evidences of prosperity, and while, no doubt, they would be glad to share in the benefits of a Protective tariff, they have demonstrated their ability to live very well indeed without it.--I am, Sir, &c., A. L.
[A. better example of the benefits of Free-trade or the futility of Protection could not be afforded than that given by our correspondent.—En. Spectator.]
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