1699 CARY ON TRADE AND THE POOR 010. CARP, John. A discourse concerning the east-India Trade. A discourse concerning the East-India-Trade, shewing how it is unprofitable to the kingdom of England. Being taken out of an Essay on Trade written by Mr. John Cary, Merchant of Bristol, in the Year 1695. To which are added some observations of Sir Josiah Child and of the author of the Essays on ways and means relating to trade. And also a copy of French King's decree, concerning printed callicoes. London. Printed for E. Baldwin in Warwick-Lane. 1699. 4to. 14p. Rebound in half calf, marbled boards. A very nice copy. WING C 726, GOLDSMITHS 3579. KRESS 2110. One of the rarest of Cary's pamphlets: L, LUG, BR; LC, MH. Y only. Extracted (but with additional material) from An Essay on the state of England in relation to its trade, Its poor, and its taxes, for carrying on the present war against France, 1695 which Locke called "the best discourse I have read on the subject." In this pamphlet Cary argues that the East-India Trade and particularly the importation of Callicoes and wrought silks is harmful to the home economy, tending to damage indigenous production of clothing materials. An act of Parliament against these foreign imports would, Cary argues, "bring with it the Prayers of the Poor..it would likewise wonderfully tend to advance the Gentlemens estates, first by expending their Wool, and next by keeping the Poor at Work, who would consume more wheat and barley, beef and mutton in their houses, and yet they need not fear having labourers enough in their harvests, though perhaps at a little higher Rates, which would be abundantly made up by an advance on the Product of their lands, besides what would be saved in the Poor's Rates, and it bath been a constant observation grounded on reason, that this nation never thrives more than when the Labour of the Poor is at such prices as they live comfortably by it." On a final leaf Cary prints some maxims extracted from Child's Discourse on Trade including four which relate to the employment of the Poor. Put simply, Cary's views come down to advocating a protectionist trade policy from which results a stronger home economy. The production of indigenous materials, particularly wool, is increased, giving employment to the poor and unemployed. With good wages the poor would be able to afford the food produce of the land. In a situation of good wages, full employment and strong if not high prices, all would benefit; the landowners, the producers and the labourers. Cary believed that a numerous and prosperous population was the true "riches of the nation". To this effect he quotes Child's maxim with which he is fully in agreement "That it is interest of a Kingdom, the Poors Wages should be high; for wherever Wages are high throughout the whole world, it is an infallible evidence of the Riches of that Country; and wherever Wages for Labour runs low, it's a proof of the Poverty of that place." It is worth noting from this that by the world "Poor" Cary denotes the common labourer or the body of those who have to work for subsistence.