BRITISH TRADE.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 11 January 1926, Page 5

BRITISH TRADE.

AND FOREIGN COMPETITION

CXFAIR CONDL'I IONS

The recommendations of live of the committees set up by the British Hoard of Trade to inquire into applications for the imposition of duties in connection with the safeguarding of industries were published recently

The industries to which the reports relate and the duties recommended are as follow :

Packing and wrapping paper. 171 per cent, ad valorem (subject to certain exceptions). Cutlery, 331-3 per cent, ad valorem for at least five years. Gas mantles, a flat rate not exceeding 6s per gross, Tike claim in respect of aluminium hollowwiue is found by the committee not to be established.

With regard to fabric gloves of silk and artificial silk, the committee state they are satisfied that the measure of protection afforded in the Finance Act of this year gives manufacurers sufficient margin to enable them successfully to compete with foreign competition in the home market, and they therefore do not recommend a duty on this class of gloves. Nor do they recommend a duty on glove fabric. The Committee on Cutlery have no reservations, and they state that, “having regard to all the conditions on which we are asked to report, we are of the opinion that the applicants have succeeded in establishing a claim to a. duty.”

In arriving at their decision, the Committee on Packing and Wrapping Paper point out that the effect of a higher general level of wages and shorter hours iu this country runs through all the operating charges, and is not con lined to t-lie wages bill alone, a circumstance which they think must, be taken into account.

The Committee on Gas Mantles accept the broad -fact that the continued production in this country „pf thorium and cerium (chemicals essential in other industries) is imperative, and as the gas mantle is practically the sole commercial outlet for thorium, they are satisfied that if mantles were not made here the economic production of the two products would go also.