"TREATMENT OF BRITISH INTERESTS."

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 776, 28 March 1910, Page 7

"TREATMENT OF BRITISH INTERESTS."

The "Times" Paris ; correspondent, writing, in January lasfy stated:— . Owing to tho extensive changes which have been' made in the text of many articles of the tariff, it is difficult to forecast the probable effects of the revision as a wnole on British trade with France. 'In the case of certain classes of goods which are exported .by Great Britain to France in large. quantities, especially textiles, the original proposals'of the Customs Committee of the Chamber of Deputies have been considerably modified. In this department British interests have been .treated with respect. Indeed, there can be no' ques-

tion .that throughout the discussion the Chamber has been guided by the,considerations which inspire the. general foreign policy of. the Government. On the other hand,'it was inevitable that the argument should have'been extensively used that foreign countries taxed French goods heavily and that it was therefore .necessary to protect French industry in- a-corresponding' degree, For example, the taxation of the_ cardboards, used,for packing silks, with the same duty as the silks themselves, and the increase of duty on agricultural machinery, were advocated upon the ground that Switzerland and the United States rtere unfair in their treatment of French goods.' '.'As a matter of fact, in tho case of ''agricultural machinery. the General Tariff which is payable by the United States has not been raised, while the minimum Tariff* has been considerably, increased. :The;effect. of this change is; to make British industry. suffer for

the treatment meted out to; French goods .by other countries. No modification, moreover, was made in'the case of any,, of; the articles enumerated in the. Franco-Swiss : Commercial Convention of 1906. If 1 is considered likely, however, that French manufacturers will endeavour to secure some increases of duty on Swiss goods at a- later. Satisfactory from general points of view as the tone of the discussion in'the Chamber of, Deputies! undoubtedly was, it is equally unquestionable that ' BritiA. trade with France will find. itself seriously affected in a number of important branches by the. increases : of duty which were adopted in the Lower House. The tariff handicap is likely to prove particularly severe in the case of .the' following classes of goods:—-Cast'and wrought iron, high-speed' steel, silver-' plated goods, furniture,' agricultural implements, boots'and shoes, felt hats, motors, steam-engines, machina parts, ajsd wire.