SCOTLAND AND ENGLAND : ACCOMPT CURREN I'
THE " Accompt Current " was a trade survey of Scotland in 1705, by John Spreull, a " big business " man in Glasgow who took an active part in Scottish politics. Previously, as a covenanting martyr, he had suffered six years' imprisonment on the Bass Rock and the savage torture of the " boot." His " Aecompt Current " was a spirited co-oterblast against the English Parliament's threats to Scots trade, and a challenge to the diffidence of his countrymen in face of their diffi- culties. There seems to me, his descendant, to be a striking resemblance between the depressed state of Scotland in 1705 and in 1934, and more than a hint to be gained from the courageous stand our forebears made against their troubles. In 1705, they. were poor, ex- hausted by a century of civil war, their trade ruined by England's wars with their best customers. In 1934 we are recovering much more slowly than England from the Great War and its aftermath of depression. Our trade dwindles and drifts south. Yet our forebears built up for themselves unaided a commercial and industrial prosperity undreamt of before. How did they set about it ?
John Spreull " offers the schemes following in relation to our trade, to prove that Scotland's products and manufactures are able to balance our trade with any parts or kingdoms we do or need to trade to ; so that it may be seen plainly that though England join with us in union or communication of trade, they will not be married to a beggar, with whom they should find nothing but a louse in our bosom the first night. Yet this land is full of product, if by your wisdoms and care we be stirred up to improve it, abroad and at home." This is even truer today than in 1705. Scotland's products, her natural resources of coal and iron, mineral and stone, her hydro-electric power, her vast potential areas for afforestation, her agriculture, her fisheries, make her as rich, in proportion to her population, as the sister king- dom, or even richer. The land is indeed full of product if only we be stirred up to improve it. We have the beginnings of National Planning in the National De- velopment Council of today. Yet its efforts are rendered sterile because there is no government interested in giving effect to its recommendations and no financial organization to carry them out. Against the English tariff threats Spreull urges retalia- tion ; but he is no bigot for tariffs, except as a measure of self-defence in a naughty world. He sees the danger. of their abuse, " else it is a grinding of the faces of the poor." He is keen to promote all trades internal and external. " Is it not better to be wise in time and retrench our trade by weaning ourselves from everything that is superfluous, the which being shut out would help us to employ all hands for making up goods at home, by which many thousands of poor may gain their bread with profit ? " " It bath always been my study to advance trade in all parts of the world by purchasing me what goods I wanted only by our own products in return." In a world where economic nationalism is the fashion, Scotland is in at least as good a position as anyone to turn herself into a first-class trading unit, and to go " shopping " only with those who " shop " with her.
He stresses the importance of the herring trade, " this being known throughout the nation, that none needs to speak further, except to stir up all hands to improve the herring fishing. Some years, while we had liberty to export them into France, there were upwards of 8,000 lasts of white herrings exported from Clyde, besides Dunbar, Fife and the Lewis. How can anyone but abhor that the French King shuts out all our white barrelled herrings and imposes a duty on red herrings equivalent to a prohibition, and determine to trade none with him till France take 1: rxhict for product, even herring red and white as before." In 1705 the English wars had closed down the Scottish herring trade with France : in 1933 the tariff war with Russia did the same. Once we sold the Russians 2,000,000 barrels ; last year, none.
Likewise, Spreull deplores the decrease in cod and ling fishing, " now the Dutch and Hamburgers come to Scotland and fish." Today it is the English trawlers who foul the spawning-grounds and smash up the nets within the three-mile limit, and are rarely punished. " If noblemen and gentlemen would cat a meal of fish once a week, at least have it on their tables though sent to their servants, it would help the consumption." Scotland could help herself today by an " Eat More Fish " campaign.
Of timber he says, " It cannot be believed by many that has not seen the woods or timber of fir that is in the Highlands, how large and haw good, being mostly redwood, and not of a fresh brittle nature, but tough and durable, as those at Fort William, which Lochiel bath been at pains to improve. Yea, I admire it is not tried, if tar and hence pitch can be got from theni, or resin which we buy elsewhere, the proprietors would find a great profit." There are a thousand hillsides in the Highlands waiting for the afforestation schemes, the electric saw mills, the pulp, furniture and other subsidiary industries that will repopulate glens long desOlate of human beings. What Norway and Finland can do, we can do. It is one of our best hopes for the future.
John Spreull displays the great importance of Scot- land's coal trade. " All men know how great a mercy it is to have coals, especially those parts that wants them. But all men know not how many thousands are employed, and fed, with their families, first by digging for them, then carrying them out, next how many boats are employed from one place in the kingdom to another and in exporting them abroad, and how all these boats breed a nursery of many seamen, if her Majesty and the Government need them for public service." How much more is this true today, when it is calculated that to have the coal trade working at full capacity would wipe off half the unemployment in the country, and when we allow our entire motor transport and most of our ship transport to depend on foreign imported oils, instead of driving them on our coal products of electricity, -coal-gas and coal-distilled oils.
John Spreull puts his heaviest weight last in the balance, the manhood of Scotland.- " I pray, is it not in the multitude of men, and good and grave counsels, that the strength and safety of a nation consists ? " Since Spretill's day, Scotland has annually poured out a great proportion of her wealth of men to enrich other lands with their wisdom, energy and fine careers : the lad of parts goes south or abroad to win his fortune, and the home land is weakened. That must be no more necessary. Scotland must and shall offer within her own borders the finest earriere ouverte aux talents to her finest sons. Il faut cultiver noire jardin. We have the men, we have the good and grave counsels ; but if we are to make a success of cultivating our garden we must be allowed to do things in our own way and not be hampered in every minor detail by an absentee landlord at Westminster.
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