36 THE NATION AND THE LABOURER.

nance must be in some way supported by the nation.
Herein would be a set-off; so far as it might go; furnishing
 the increased number of labourers without, perhaps,
any absolute increase in national expenditure, because,
under the alteration, the nation would pay in wages
merely what it had previously paid in poor-rates or in
some other such form. But, leaving aside the equalizing
effect which would arise from thus furnishing the means
of self support to labourers previously supported by the
nation, let us suppose the nation to possess accumulated
wealth to an exceedingly great amount, and to bein receipt
of an annual income on a correspondingly great scale, it
is evident that the nation might if it thought proper, and
saw its advantage in so doing, reimburse its own manufacturer
 the increase in his expenditure occasioned by the
employment of the greater number of labourers ; and thus
place him in a position to compete with his foreign rival
equally favourable to that which he occupied previously.
For example: The nation may, through its government, relieve
 the manufacturer competing in the foreign market, of
all taxation, or of such a part of the taxation to which he
was previously subject, as to equalize his profits. And,
again, if the foreign manufacturer should come into the
home market, the nation could readily equalize the
competition by imposition of an import duty. In this
last case the price of the article would be, of course,
increased ; but that would not necessarily, be a circumstance
 of any consequence to the nation, because the
additional price would go to its own labourers, that is.
would be paid to itself.
The alteration would. in fact. constitute an indirect