SAFEGUARDING INDUSTRY.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 96, 24 April 1926, Page 9

SAFEGUARDING INDUSTRY.

WORK OF A COMMITTEE.

LONDON, April 23

The Safeguarding of Industries Committee which was appointed iri October has presented its report. This states that the applicants failed to substantiate their case for a duty on imported worsted cloth, as unemployment in Yorkshire had not been seriously affected by abnormal imports from France.

There was no doubt that the French article was produced at less cost than the British owing to the depreciated franc, which acted as a bounty in favour of the French manufacturer. The committee recommends that if the abnormal imports continue owing to depreciated exchanges a duty of 12$ per cent should be imposed.

! This recommendation is based on a ! French exchange rate of 130 francs to the pound, a Belgian rate of 107 francs end an Italian rate of 121 lire. ' Mr. E. Bevin, secretary of the General Workers' Union, a member of the committee, has a reservation expressing the opinion that no duty should be imposed until a more comprehensive inquiry has been held covering the whole trade.