South Africa.

The great countries, famous for a production of raw materials much
beyond their own means of consumption, are favourable, of course, to the
utmost freedom of export. The empire of China itself was never unwilling
to sell to foreigners tea for which there was no domestic use. The
United States promotes transit and export of grain, internally and
externally, with all the intelligence and resources of a civilized
people. Although the import duty on "breadstuffs" imposed by the United
States tariff is very high, and is, possibly, a useful protection
against the importation of "baker's products," yet it is to a certain
extent unnecessary for a country which must dispose of its surplus by
exportation. The same remark applies to Russia, whose exportation and
importation are alike free, though there is an import duty on wheat
flour of 2s. 11-1/2d. per cwt. In the British colonies probably the only
example of an export duty is that on rice in British India; it amounts
to 3 annas per maund (4d. per cwt.). The import of grain into India is
free. In Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and all mainly agricultural
countries, there is no export duty. In each of these countries, however,
there is an import duty; in the cases of Australia and New Zealand,
designed, to a certain extent, as a precaution against possible rivalry
on the part of the other. The Australian import duty is 1s. 6d. per
cental (100 lb av.), and the New Zealand 9d. per cental. The Canadian
import duties on grain are important only in the light of being a
species of retaliation against similar duties imposed by the United
States with the design of restricting inter-frontier exchange. The
Canadian import duty is, on barley, 30% _ad valorem_; on buckwheat, rye
and oats, 4.93d. per bushel, and on wheat, 5.92d. per bushel. The South
African production of cereal is still insufficient to meet the demand
for home consumption, and there is a considerable grain importation. The
import duty, which undoubtedly acts as an encouragement to home
agriculture, is 1s. per cental. (See also GRAIN TRADE.)
(R. SO.; T. A. I.)

FOOTNOTE:

[1] M'Culloch found from a comparison of the prices of corn and wages
of labour in the reign of Henry VII. and the latter part of the reign
of Elizabeth, that in the former period a labourer could earn a
quarter of wheat in 20, a quarter of rye in 12, and a quarter of
barley in 9 days; whereas, in the latter per