Page:The Economic Journal Volume 1.djvu/696

674 THE ECONOMIC JOURNAL Is this course honest, patriotic, or even immecl?ately expedient or profitable ? The writer has, in an earlier part of this paper, indicated the inevitable results to the nation, in the not very remote future, if no remedy ?s adopted. If the nation persistently ignores the provision of a remedy, whilst it can clo so, in order to protect the nation against what will otherwise be serious disaster, we shall have, before many years are over, a persistent flow of British capital abroad, an indisposition on the part of capitalists to make permanent investments in this country, and a general curtailment in the employment of capital, which will in the im- mediate future, so check trade and lessen the employment for labour, as to cost far more to the nation than would be involved in the annual provision required to protect the nation against such disastrous results. Is there no remedy for the loss haustion of our best coal resources ? to the nation due to the ex- Can no policy be indicated by which our national obligations and the cost of internal means of communication may be relieved as rapidly as our national dis- advantages, due to the increasing cost of providing our coal supplies, may accrue '? T. FORSTER BROWN