On Some Effects of the Repeal of Corn Laws on English Agriculture

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  • Sato Toshio
    Seminar of Farm Management, Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University

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  • イギリスにおける穀物法の撤廃と農業
  • イギリス ニ オケル コクモツホウ ノ テッパイ ト ノウギョウ

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Through the repeal of Corn Laws (they regulated the corn-price by means of administration of import and export of corn) in 1846, England adopted Free Trade Policy. This paper aims to make a clear knowledge about some effects of Free Trade Policy on English Agriculture. The results of this study are as follows: (1) During about thirty years after the repeal of Corn-Laws, English Agriculture prospered under the good conditions of corn-and livestock-prices, and so forth. But during the next twenty years, English Agriculture was greatly depressed. (2) Under Free Trade, for one period agriculture prospered, but for the other it was depressed. The reason of this may be explained by the fact that for the former period called "High Farming" Corn was not imported from any countries through certain internal affairs themselves (for example, Civil War in USA, and Crimean War in Russia), but for the latter period called "Great Depression" corn was imported in large quantities at a low price due to both the development of agriculture in USA and the improvement in transportation, i.e. extention and development of railway and steam-ship. (3) The mixed husbandry which had developed during the period of "High Farming" was crushed down by very low price of corn and livestock caused by the vast imports of agricultural products from USA. The mixed husbandry was composed of arable-and livestock-enterprises, so that it had a possibility to realize high productivity through the relationships between them. But in order that the mixed husbandry can realize high productivity, it requires a large amount of capital to be invested to machines, land-improvements, purchased feeds and artificial fertilizer, and so on. Accordingly it costs high. For these costs including high rents, English Agriculture was depressed by the foreign agricultural products. (4) From the above-mentioned fact, it may be concluded that English Agriculture was depressed as the result of adoption of Free Trade Policy. However, according to English Experience about Free Trade during the last one hundred years, Free Trade Policy has not only many merits but also some important demerits. Now, we must make good use of English Experience in the face of the trend of Free Trade of agricultural products in Japan.

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