Catalogue Number
NMLH.1994.168.350
Object Name
Poster
Title
Trade and the Empire
Date
1910
Description
Tariff Reform poster, published by the Imperial Tariff Committee, Birmingam, 1910
This poster shows Lloyd George, the then Chancellor, standing at a fork in the road. He is encouraging another man, labelled in the text below as an "unemployed workman" to follow the path labelled "Radicalism" which ends at a workhouse. The text below suggests Lloyd George says "This is the Free Trade way, for Cheap Food!". The unemployed workman replies "That's quite right guvnor, but I'm going this way this time!". The workman points down the other road, labelled "Tariff Reform", wich ends in the 'Albion Works' mill with a men wanted sign.
This poster dates from the political crisis around 1909-1910, surrounding free trade or tariff reform. This poster highlights two of the main arguments for tariff reform and against Free Trade - that Free Trade caused unemployment, as more goods were brought in from overseas (thus leading to the workhouse) and that tariff reform would therefore lead to more jobs, at a time of high unemployment. Cheaper foodstuffs was a common argument in favour of Free Trade.
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