This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1885 edition. Excerpt: ... VII. The Condition and Prospects of Trade. Speech delivered in the Town Hall, Manchester, Tuesday, June 23d, 1885. If I were to follow my own inclinations, I should like to begin my address to you to-day with a hundred reservations, explanations, and apologies, but the prospect of having to survey, in ...
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This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1885 edition. Excerpt: ... VII. The Condition and Prospects of Trade. Speech delivered in the Town Hall, Manchester, Tuesday, June 23d, 1885. If I were to follow my own inclinations, I should like to begin my address to you to-day with a hundred reservations, explanations, and apologies, but the prospect of having to survey, in however brief a form, the vast field of British commerce and industry, warns me that I must lose no time in such preliminaries. I will frankly say that I have been wondering whether I have ever done a more imprudent thing in my life than to venture to address this audience of experts--because experts you are--on topics which, in most of their aspects, you understand far better than I presume to do myself. And the situation is rather worse, because a great many of you are suffering experts. I know what would be most agreeable to my own feelings, and probably would be agreeable to the feelings of many of those present. It would be that I should expatiate in the direction of fully acknowledging the present unsatisfactory state of things, and that then I should conclude by drawing a rose-coloured picture of better times in store. But I am speaking to business men; and I believe that what you would like best is this--that I should observe absolute impartiality, and that I should look facts fairly in the face, not trying to minimise the troubles under which you are labouring, nor overrating the difficulties that may lie before British commerce. I have said I had no time for reservations, but one I should wish to be allowed to make. I would ask you not to think only of Manchester while I am speaking. You will remember that you have not invited me here to speak upon the cotton industry, upon which you know infinitely more than anyone coming from...
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